Dusk & Summer
by wittyplayonwords
Summary: The beginning of a Malfoy/Weasley affair. Contains exams, children's literature and summer heat. Part I
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All of it belongs to the wonderfully talented JKR. Except the lyrics, which are Death Cab for Cutie's, the Title which is Dashboard Confessional's, and The Wizard of Oz, which is of course L. Frank Baum's.

Holy Macarole that's a long disclaimer.

On ward...

Dusk & Summer

Chapter One

Summer Skin

_Squeaky swings and tall grass  
The longest shadows ever cast  
The water's warm and children swim  
And we frolicked about in our summer skin_

_I don't recall a single care  
Just greenery and humid air  
Then Labor day came and went  
And we shed what was left of our summer skin_

_On the night you left I came over  
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders  
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink  
And I knew your heart I couldn't win  
Cause the season's change was a conduit  
And we'd left our love in our summer skin_

Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley weren't exactly friends. They were on friendly enough terms; they had to be since they had both been Prefects for the past two years together. However Rose, the sunny studious Gryffindor, had never counted Malfoy, the brooding, quick-witted Ravenclaw among one of her friends, nor she one of his.

Which is why on this particular sunny day, in early June, just before exams, Rose was slightly startled when Scorpius Malfoy stood before her and greeted her.

Truth be told, Malfoy had been watching her for the past few days. She was sitting next to the three-tiered fountain, found toward the back of the school. This particular fountain was erected after the Great Battle of Hogwarts, nearly twenty-five years ago. The fountain was part of the reconstruction of Hogwarts, and symbolized the great many lives that were lost in the horrible battle that was waged within the walls of the castle and on the surrounding grounds. Unfortunately for whoever made the decision to place the memorial fountain toward the back of the school, it was rarely ever used, and hardly ever had students milling around it, or reading the nearly fifty names etched around the base of the fountain. Most students preferred the elaborate fountain in the courtyard of the school or the green grass near the Great Lake for places to sit on hot summer days, such as the one near the end May, when Scorpius Malfoy started watching Rose Weasley.

He had been looking for his good friend Dylan Heyman at the time, when he came across a lonely figure reading. The green grass that lead from the school to the Forbidden Forest also lead right up to the base of the fountain, and therefore made a great place to settle into a good book.

Usually the sight of a lone figure, deeply immersed in a book, would not faze Malfoy. However, recently he had been noticing just how lovely his fellow prefect was and that day found it hard to take his eyes off her bright red head, that was bent between the pages of a book. He took a step back in the castle to watch the figure from afar.

She was reading, as usual, with her crimson locks flowing freely down her shoulders. She was biting the nail on her index finger of her right hand and looked; there was no other word to describe it, _peaceful._

He wanted to continue watching her; he found that he couldn't move his eyes away. She smiled as she read something sweet in her book. He glanced at the cover. It seemed ancient, but not something he would find in the back recesses of the Library. It looked different somehow. But as he was trying to decipher what the girl could possibly be reading, a lock of coppery-silk moved and the golden reflection caught his eyes. He suddenly realized that he didn't care what she was reading so intently; all that mattered was that head of fiery hair, and that sweet serene smile.

"Scorpius!" Someone called in the distance.

Scorpius jumped, knocking his head against the door frame. He looked toward the voice with one hand over the newly formed bump on his forehead. It was his good friend Dylan.

"Hey. I was just looking for you."

"What are you staring at?" Dylan asked, trying to peak around Scorpius' broad shoulders.

"What?" Scorpius asked innocently, blocking Rose from his friend's view. "Nothing. Are we studying for Transfiguration together or what?"

"Yeah. Sure thing." Dylan responded, already forgetting about the figure near the fountain, and walking toward the library.

With one last look toward Rose, Scorpius followed him.

That was last week, and every day since then he had found himself going out of his way so he could walk past the figure by the fountain every day at the same time. He told himself that it was merely an infatuation, a weird fixation. He told himself that it would be beyond impossible to act upon his thoughts. He told himself that Malfoy and Weasley didn't mix. But he was beginning to find that he _didn't care_. Somewhere in the past week, running his hands through those red teasing locks had become more important than anything. More important than anything his father said, his friends did, or the tests that he would be asked to complete in the coming week.

She was playing with the necklace around her neck. He didn't know what the significance of this necklace was, but he wanted to find out. He knew that it carried some importance to the girl at the base of the fountain though, for every time she ceased playing with it, she would lay it gently on her chest, and hold her hand there. Almost as if she were assuring herself that it was still there. She did all of this without taking her eyes from her book.

The book. That was another mystery Scorpius was intent to solve. At first he didn't care what she was reading. All that mattered was that she was reading it, and smiling in that sweet way while she did.

But now his curiosity about the book was becoming a nagging sensation that plagued him throughout most of the day, cropping up at the most inopportune times. Today he had nearly missed a question in Herbology because he was too busy thinking about what could be hidden under that battered green cover.

This thirst for knowledge and the fact that Rose kept popping into his dreams at night in ways she really shouldn't, led him to do something quite unexpected that humid day in the beginning of June.

"Hello."

Rose looked up as a shadow appeared on the page of her book. Shielding her eyes from the sun's glare, she saw Scorpius Malfoy standing before her, a weird look on his face. It looked as if he was battling with something he wanted to say.

Tucking a strand of wild hair behind her ear and a bookmark in her current page, she greeted him warmly. "Hello," She said simply, if not a little confused. "How are you?" she added remembering her manners.

"Fine," He breathed. "And you?" He was fidgeting in his pockets now, and Rose could practically taste his discomfort.

"Very well." She was still looking up at him, confusion now very apparent on her face.

"That's good." Scorpius mumbled, looking toward the fountain at her back.

Rose looked at the fountain too, seeing nothing out the ordinary; she looked back at the awkward boy before her. She didn't know what had gotten into him exactly. He had always been the very image of poise at all the Prefect meetings, and never seemed the type to be fidgety and insecure. Where on earth did smooth, witty, relaxed Scorpius Malfoy go?

After a few, very long, moments of tense silence, Rose finally spoke.

"Is there something wrong?" She didn't know what she meant by it exactly. She didn't know if she meant with the school, with the Leaving Feast she and the other Prefects were supposed to arrange, or if she meant with him.

She had no idea what to say. He was just standing there, looking from the fountain to her and back again, and frankly it was beginning to give her the creeps.

He didn't answer, but looked directly at her, and the old book she clutched in her hands. His gaze was unmoving; he just stood there and stared at her. Finally giving up, and channeling her father's anger, she said crossly. "What on earth is wrong with you? Why are you staring at me? And what can I help you with?" She crossed her arms over her chest for added effect and glared in his direction.

Scorpius started. Seeming shocked by her presence, and looked about wildly. Almost as if he was caught out doing something naughty.

"Scorpius?!" Rose shouted, fed up.

"I'msorry," Scorpius exhaled, and turned tail and all but ran in the opposite direction, leaving a befuddled and mildly peeved Rose Weasley behind him.

Looking back at that encounter still turned Scorpius' cheeks bright red. He couldn't believe that he had just stood there gaping like a bloody idiot. And no matter how many times he thought about it, and ran that painfully embarrassing scenario back through his mind, he couldn't suss out why he froze up. Scorpius never froze. He always had something to say, was always the epitome of composure, and calm. She was just sitting there, being polite to him as always, and for some strange reason he couldn't say anything.

Groaning at his foolishness, he attracted the attention of his fellow classmates who were trying to review nonverbal spells before the Charms exam in three days. This isn't what he needed. Exam week was coming up, and he needed to study, he needed to focus, he needed to get this weird fixation on Weasley out of his mind. But even as he repeated this mantra in his mind, his eyes drifted toward the front of the classroom and sought out her red head. Sure enough there she was, rereading her notes furiously and waving her wand in the direction of the water goblet in front of her.

As he watched her under the guise of double checking a spell in one his reference books, he couldn't help but think of her reading another book, the sun playing with her hair, the green grass beneath her, her soft, delicate hands playing with the necklace tucked into opening of her collared school shirt, her lips smiling in that sweet way. Scorpius sighed.

Suddenly the figure he was watching so intently, with such passion behind his eyes, turned and looked toward the direction of the noise. She saw him watching her, her eyebrows scrunched in pensive contemplation, her lips pouted_ ever-so-slightly…_

His breath catching, Scorpius began to choke, and his eyes flicked back to his work. Sweet Merlin, must he always act like such a fool in her presence.

Calming his breath, he couldn't help but wonder why Rose Weasley had such an affect on him.

Later that day, after dinner, and a quiet wander around the school to calm his nerves and collect his thoughts, he knew what he had to do.

"Rose!" He shouted, running up to her still form at the base of the fountain he was beginning to think as hers.

She looked up startled, saw him and rolled her eyes. Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for but at least she didn't run away. However it seemed as if she was well on her way to doing that very thing, she began gathering her things and stood up, and nearly managed to take a step before Scorpius met up with her. He grabbed her arm to stop her while he tried to catch his breath.

"What do you want now Malfoy?" She asked, a dangerous edge to her voice.

Not a good starting point, Scorpius figured, but it was better than staring at her like she was a beast to be defeated. Shaking his head, he tried not to think of the last twenty-four hours of sheer embarrassment, and focused on the task at hand.

"I came" pause for breath "to apologize." It was only now that Scorpius realized he was gripping her arm. Staring at his traitorous hand in wide-eyed terror, he quickly withdrew it as if he had been shocked.

"I see," Rose said, her voice clipped. Shrugging her should bag on; she crossed her arms and stared at Malfoy, waiting for the rest.

"I'm sorry. I was acting mad yesterday, and I really have no idea what came over me." Scorpius looked into her eyes hoping to meet forgiveness and understanding in them. Alas, what he saw was narrowed lids, and disbelief. He also noticed for the first time just how clear and blue they were. They were a deep blue, a startling blue. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed them before now, and made an instant decision that hers were the type of eyes that one could get lost in.

Shocked by how pansy his thoughts sounded, and determined not to think about just how close he was to her, he continued on in his botched apology.

"I am sorry," He said with a passion he felt. "I, for some very strange reason, just wanted to talk to you yesterday. And for reasons that still have to be identified, found myself overwhelmed by your . . . presence." Who had allowed that last bit to leave his mouth? Certainly not he. However it seemed like the right thing to say, because when he looked up from his trainers and caught her eye, she was smiling.

"That is the weirdest apology I have ever received." Rose said, taking her bag off her shoulder and placing it at her feet. "But thank you. Apology accepted." And with this she sat back down at the base of the fountain.

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief, and mild embarrassment. He suffered from word vomit around her, and realized that it actually _could_ be worse. She could be recoiling back in terror, or slapping him across the face. Really, all-in-all, word vomit wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded. However, now that he had apologized, he had no idea what to do next. Apologizing was pretty much the only plan he had, mostly because he didn't think he would make it even this far. He was sure she wasn't going to hear him out, and just run away from him. If she had done so, he wouldn't have blamed her, that's what he would've done. Lucky for him, she took the matter out of his hands.

"So what did you want to talk about?" She asked, blue eyes staring at him, afternoon sun playing peek-a-boo with her hair. Merlin did he want to run his fingers through her hair. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

Focus!

"Uh . . . " Scorpius began most eloquently. Inwardly cursing his lack of cool around her, he tried again. "Your book actually." Word vomit again. "The one you were reading yesterday." It was as if his mouth refused to let any words out that would not completely incriminate him. In a furious attempt at distracting her from his pink cheeks, he looked around before taking a seat in front of her.

"Oh," Rose said, surprised. She took the battered book out of her bag, and clasped in gingerly in her hands. "Why?" she looked up at him, and again Scorpius found himself slipping into the deep blue.

Shaking his head, like a dog does to rid them of water, Scorpius thought about his response. "No reason," He lied.

At this Rose just raised a disbelieving, slim eyebrow. The look clearly stated that she didn't believe him for a second.

_'Because I've been watching you for a few days now, and I need to know what you've been reading that makes you smile the way you do, because it's slowly driving me crazy.' _Scorpius winced as that thought nearly escaped his lips. Luckily what came out was "Because it didn't seem like a library book and I was curious."

Rose was quiet for a moment, and roved her eyes up and down the tense form ahead of her. Scorpius felt like he was being appraised for an auction.

"It's not a library book. It's a muggle book, and one of my favorites. One of the first chapter books I learned to read," Rose admitted with a pink flush to her cheeks.

Scorpius liked the way she looked with pink cheeks, and inwardly reveled at the fact that he had caused it. "Tell me about it," He asked, plucking at the green grass at his feet and twirling a few strands in his fingers.

Rose watched him playing with the grass blades. His fingers were deft and smooth, and for some reason she found herself momentarily entranced by his movements. "Why?" she asked him in a distracted voice.

He threw the grass blades aside. Trance broken, Rose felt as if she had come up for air. She looked him in the face.

"I..." He trailed off. He couldn't come up with a good reason why he should want to hear about this book. "I don't know." He chuckled a little bit. "Why not?" He countered.

Rose looked baffled and highly suspicious, but in the end she conceded. It turned out it was a book written by a muggle man by the name of L. Frank Baum. It was called "The Wizard of Oz" and was in fact Rose Weasley's favorite book for a very long time.

"My mum used to read it to me when I was sick. I have a bunch of different copies. Annotated versions, first editions, illustrated children's versions. All sorts." Rose was looking at the battered copy in her hands with reverence, and Scorpius was looking at Rose with predator-like intensity.

"Well, I've never heard of it," Scorpius said with finality. "Read me some," He said. It was neither a command nor a request. He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back in the soft grass.

"Um . . . " Rose wanted to ask why he was so bloody curious. She wanted to ask why what she was reading was any of his business. She wanted to tell him to bugger off and go away. After all it wasn't like they were friends. But when she glanced at his relaxed form. Eyes closed, chest moving in a steady rhythm, look of absolute peace on his face, she found that the words wouldn't form. She couldn't bear seeing that look of peacefulness leave his face, and she certainly didn't want to be the cause of his ruptured serenity. Wondering when Scorpius Malfoy's happiness had become a factor in her decisions, she opened to the last book-marked page, and began to read.

"_'Chapter eight. The deadly poppy fields. Our little party of travelers awakened the next morning refreshed and full of hope, and Dorothy breakfasted like a princess off peaches and plums from the trees beside the river...'_"

And so it began. Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy became friends. They spent the next few nights there at the back fountain reading together. Occasionally Scorpius would throw in a question. Sometimes Rose would stop reading and they would get off topic, talking about frivolous things, and telling stories.

And it was somewhere around their third day out back at the fountain, when Scorpius Malfoy realized something. He found himself becoming aroused at the way Rose's mouth formed the words 'emerald city' and 'the great and powerful Oz'. And suddenly, he knew. It was as if the fog had lifted, and he could finally see across the way.

He had fallen in love with Rose Weasley.

End Chapter One

A.N. 2:

As always reviews are appreciated and reviewers are fabulous.

Let me know what you guys think of this...

Next Time: Rose divulges more than she would like and fantasizes in the middle of an exam.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: No, I'm not Jo. No I'm not Dashboard Confessional either. and I am definitely not L. Frank Baum. Don't sue. kthanksbye.

Chapter Two: Rooftops and Invitations

_"The first time you looked at her curves you were hooked  
And the glances you took, took hold of you  
And demanded that you stay.  
And sunk in their teeth, bit your heart and released,  
Such a charge that you need another touch,  
Another taste, another fix"_

"_'Then a strange thing happened,'_" Hermione Weasley's voice was soft and soothing as she read to her daughter by the fire side. "_'The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon'_."

Rose could remember her feeling of delight and wonder as she sat in her mother's lap listening to a wonderful story of a girl who gets swept away in a marvelous adventure. Hermione Weasley was a strong woman, who worked too hard and too many hours, but never complained because she loved her job far too much. But despite the long hours and the heavy workload, she always found time for her children. She would read to Rose and Hugo every night, and Rose remembers how glad her little 4 year old self would get when she heard her mother announce that it was story time. She would crawl up in her mother arms, in front of the large fireplace in the den and listen to her mother's voice for hours. She would always ask Rose if she had any questions, or if Rose had her own input on what she was reading about. And it was through her mother and their hours spent in front of the fireplace that Rose discovered her love for literature.

She remembers when she a little older asking her mother a question while she read Rose "The Wizard of Oz" once again.

"_'...but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring'_" Hermione read, describing the terrible cyclone to her daughter. "_'At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her. In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep'_."

"How could she do that mummy?" Rose asked, before Hermione could continue.

"Do what dear?"

"Lie down and fall asleep when something so bad was happening around her?"

"Well," Hermione thought about her answer, carefully considering her daughter's question and young state-of-mind, before answering. "It wasn't that bad really. Dorothy was quite safe in the house. And while she was being swept away to another land, she was more excited than frightened." Hermione stopped looking at the page and looked her daughter in the eyes. "Understand this, my little Rosie. Sometimes something can sweep you up, and you won't know what way is up, or what is right or what to feel. And you won't be afraid. You'll be excited. Your heart will start pumping fast, and you won't feel like yourself. But it won't be frightening at all." Hermione looked puzzled by the end of her speech. Unknowing whether or not her young, clever daughter fully understood what she was trying to explain.

"I'm not sure I understand," Young Rose said. Her forehead was furrowed in concentration.

"You will someday sweetie."

Rose looked back on her mother's advice many times throughout her life, and never fully understood. She comprehended the point her mother was trying to make, and deduced she was talking about falling in love. But Rose, never having been in love, could never see how someone could let themselves be completely swept away by something so powerful.

"Rose?"

But she supposed that maybe someone might be able to sweep her off her feet.

"Rose?"

Without warning, and for reasons unknown, a pair grey eyes flashed in her mind.

"Rosie?!"

_'Malfoy?'_ Rose wondered.

"ROSE! Earth to Rose!"

Shaking her head to rid them of her disturbing thoughts she addressed the very grumpy looking girl before her.

"Sorry Lucy," Rose apologized lowering her eyes and shifting the Transfiguration notes she was supposed to be studying around. "I was in another land." Rose felt her cheeks growing hot, and hoped her friend wouldn't notice.

"Yeah, I can see that," Lucy said with a smirk. Her blue eyes alight with intrigue. "Who were you thinking about so intently?" Lucy asked with an eyebrow wiggle.

Lucy Woodward was Rose's best friend. Lucy had a long train of black hair down her back, and fierce blue eyes with an attitude to match. She was the seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and a quick-witted spitfire, who had no qualms speaking her mind. A quality that Rose envied.

Rose sometimes wished she wasn't so observant though. Blushing, Rose answered "No one." She tucked a strand of wild hair behind her ear, and avoided Lucy's eyes. Rose hoped she would just drop it.

"A boy?" Lucy asked with devious tone, shuffling Rose's notes, and dragging them towards her.

No such luck it seems. "No!" Rose said again with a little giggle, and pulled her notes back towards her. "Now stop distracting me and let me study," Rose said only half-joking.

"C'mon Rosie," Lucy said, picking up her own notes again. "If you were thinking of a boy, you could tell me."

Fortunately for Rose, she was saved from further inquisition by the arrival of her cousin Al. Albus Potter, the prodigy who was mistaken for his father more often than he would like to admit. Albus was shy, quiet, incredibly intelligent, and was currently dating the loud, beautiful girl in front of Rose.

"Hey," Albus said quietly. He sat down next to Lucy and kissed her cheek. Lucy turned slightly pink and turned to face Al.

"Hey," She said her voice low and husky. Rose tried not to be jealous that her friend was able to pull off sexy and mysterious in ways she never could.

Lucy greeted Albus with a kiss on the lips and Rose instantly averted her eyes. She was very happy for the two of them, but had no desire to witness their affections.

'_The subject being transfigured may experience some psychological and physical trauma before they are completely used to the transformation..._' Rose read. Her Transfiguration final was in two days and for some reason she was still having difficulty grasping the subject of human-animagus transformations.

"Hello Rosie," Albus' voice broke through her note reading.

Rose looked up at her cousin. He had a slightly dazed look in his eyes, a cheeky grin of his face, and the faintest trace of lipstick on his lips. The overall look said 'I'm-completely-smitten'.

She couldn't help but smile.

"Hey Al," Rose responded. "How are you?"

"Very well," Albus said with a covert glance towards Lucy who was back to studying but with less passion than she was before. Rose raised an eyebrow at his statement, and went back to her notes.

"What are you guys up to?" He asked, peaking over Lucy's shoulder at her notes.

"Transfiguration," Lucy said, meeting Albus' eye. They were staring at each other so intently that Rose suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"Nasty," Albus said in a very distracted way. His eyes still locked onto Lucy's.

Rose looked between her two friends, feeling very awkward and thought it would probably be a good time for her to leave. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was half past five. Suddenly she had a very real reason for leaving the library.

Scorpius...

"I have to go guys," Rose said in a panic, gathering up her books and notes and quills as quickly as possible. "I am so late..." she said as an afterthought.

"Bye," Her two companions said in lazy voices. They were still looking at each other, mere seconds it seemed from tearing each other's clothes off.

Rolling her eyes, Rose left in a flurry of violent hair and scattered parchment.

"I am not looking forward to the beginning of Exam week," Scorpius said. He was lying on his back at the base of the fountain. His eyes were closed and his muggle tee-shirt was sticking to his skin, thanks to the thin layer of sweat that had developed there.

It was forty-five minutes later and Rose and Scorpius, after thoroughly exhausting "The Wizard of Oz", were lying in the heat of early summer and talking about the upcoming week. Rose was sitting next to Scorpius' head, her light summer skirt not keeping her as cool as she would have liked. She rested her head against the base of the fountain, enjoying the feeling of the cool stone against her neck, and closed her eyes. "Me neither," she replied in the same lazy manner.

Scorpius squinted a grey eye at her response. "What do you have first?"

"Transfiguration.," Rose replied with a sigh. She kept her eyes closed and tried to ignore the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. She felt Malfoy's crooked gaze and it made her feel uneasy, excited, and overwhelmed. "What about you?" she asked, picking up the necklace that rested on her chest and toying with it. It was a horrible habit that she had picked up a few years ago. She was always trying to break herself of it, but it had become second-nature.

"Charms," came Scorpius' reply. He was propped up on his elbow now, both eyes open, firmly affixed on the girl beside him.

Rose pretended not to notice.

The sat in silence after that for some time. Rose fiddling with the necklace, Malfoy watching her. The heat was stifling and small beads of perspiration gathered on Rose's forehead. She wiped them away hastily. The only sounds that were heard were the babbling of the fountain and the occasional bird call.

"What's that?" The question was so soft and quiet that at first Rose didn't recognize it. It was only after she opened her eyes, and saw Scorpius looking up at her, that she knew he had spoken at all.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

Scorpius pushed himself up to a sitting position and leaned into Rose. His eyes flicked from the necklace dangling between her fingers and her startled expression. "Your necklace. Why do you do that?"

Rose was distracted. He was too close. He was eying her in a predatory nature and she found that she didn't mind it all that much. Stuttering, she managed a feeble "It's nothing." She dropped the necklace, but her eyes didn't leave his.

He raised a cool blonde eyebrow at her response and Rose felt her resolve crumbling. She picked up the necklace again. "It was my mother's," she babbled. "It was the first ring that my father ever gave her. He proposed with it. When he upgraded her ring right before their wedding, she couldn't bear to part with it." Why was she telling him this? Surely it was none of his business. But now that she had started, she found her mouth wouldn't shut-up. "She wore it as a necklace for years. But when I first came to Hogwarts she gave it to me. It's a sort of good luck charm." She lowered her eyes to the necklace and continued to fiddle with it.

Scorpius leaned closer still, fingers brushing hers as he examined the ring. It was a plain thing. Simple gold band, with three stones set into it. Two gold topazes flanked a red ruby. Gryffindor colors.

Rose was breathing heavily. He was far too close now. She felt as if she was being swallowed by his presence. His blonde head was bent in polite curiosity and his lips were parted slightly. He smelled like crisp parchment, and another scent she just couldn't place. The overall affect was not unpleasant. She closed her eyes and regulated her breathing. She didn't know what had come over her.

"It's nice," He said, dropping the ring from between his fingers. It hit her panting chest with a soft jingle.

"Thanks," she breathed. She continued to look at him. He hadn't moved yet. He was still sitting very close to her and as her eyes studied his face; the piercing grey eyes, the angled features, and surprisingly thin lips, it finally came to her.

'_Honey! Crisp parchment and honey._' That's what he smelled like. Realization brought a smile to her lips.

He smiled back.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said cocking his head to the side, smirk playing across his lips. He moved away from her and resumed his position on his back. His eyes were once again closed, shielding themselves from the setting sun.

She found herself missing his nearness. She was puzzled by the sudden cold that stole over her when he left her immediate proximity. Shaking her head, she looked towards her companion.

He looked peaceful, relaxed. A slight smile played on his lips. She wondered if she would ever be able to reach that state of easiness.

As she was pondering, the figure stretched. His long arms reached out above his head and Rose was distracted from her musings by their lines. She could see the muscles and ligaments shifting and moving beneath the skin. Her eyes followed his fingers and hands, as he placed them behind his head. Her eyes, now moving with an intensity all their own, scanned over the long body beside her. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she felt that she couldn't get enough. The peaceful face, the tee-shirt pulled tight against his chest, the jean clad legs, crossed at the ankle. He exuded calm. _'He always has,'_ a small portion of her mind reminded her as she eagerly consumed his figure. Her eyes snagged on a piece of fabric by his waist. His blue shirt was bunched up, revealing a small sliver of skin. A jutting hip-bone stared back at her. Her breathing was becoming irregular again. But before she could fully appreciate its fitness, the fabric moved and covered it again.

Her heart rate slowed.

"I got to go. I told Dylan I'd meet him for a little Charms brush-up." Scorpius was looking at his wristwatch. And all too quickly he was up from the ground, bag packed, and looking down at her sitting form with a small smile.

"Same time tomorrow?" He asked. She nodded, not trusting her voice and before she knew it he was striding across the grounds towards the castle.

Rose tried to catch her breath and suddenly found herself very warm. She gathered her things and set off for her dormitory at a brisk pace.

A cool shower and the calming presence of books was what she needed.

_'Describe the theory behind physical trauma and emotional stress as it pertains to animal transfigurations, and give an example of each.'_

Rose sat in her Transfiguration classroom, tapping her quill and reading the questions to her Transfiguration Final Exam. The exam had just begun and Professor Clearwater was overseeing the students. The ticking of the clock reminded Rose that her time was precious, rare and rapidly running out. She was generally a good test-taker, but Transfiguration wasn't her best subject.

Fiddling with her quill, she took a quick glance around to clear her head, hoping to form answers. Lucy was sitting next to her, tapping her foot and writing at a smooth pace. Albus was at the front of the class, quill moving quickly across the test parchment in a way that Rose envied.

Taking a deep breath she dived into the test. It was slow going at first, but she soon rediscovered all the answers buried in the back of her head. As she continued to write about theories, wand movements, the difference between animagus transformations and werewolf transformations and different effects of wordless spells, her mind began to wander.

Yesterday with Scorpius was nice. They had sat by the fountain and helped each other study. However somewhere between re-teaching Scorpius the proper wrist movement for the Levitation Charm and studying the dates of the first know animagus transformation, Rose discovered something. Somehow, through all their talking and reading and story-sharing, she and Scorpius had become friends.

And best of all, she liked it.

However, whenever she thought about that scent that she discovered as they talked about her mother's ring and that slip of stomach she caught a glance of as he lay next to her, she started thinking about things that were very far from friendship indeed.

She wondered of the rest of his torso was as fit as that little piece of hip. It looked smooth and she surprised herself when she realized that she would like nothing more than to run her fingertips down his chest, his arms, his broad shoulders, his back…

"Ten minutes left," Professor Clearwater shouted with authority.

Startled, Rose was pulled from her fantasies with all the shock of being plunged into cold water. Shaking her head and burying her fantasies, Rose finished her exam with time to spare.

And it wasn't until later, when she, Lucy and Albus sat beneath the large beech tree, rehashing the details of the test that it hit her. Scorpius Malfoy had sucked her up into a cyclone all his own. And she didn't feel scared, frightened or nervous. A sort of giddy excitement came over her as she sat there only half-listening to Albus spout off the three different examples he used.

She didn't know what to think, what to feel or which way was up, and she liked it.

-----

So, what do we think? Our little Rosie sure has got something bad alright.

Reviewers are loved, as always.

Chapter Three: Rose and Scorpius are pushed to the breaking point and James Potter makes an appearance.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not the Fray, or JKR, as per usual.

Chapter Three

Up in the Air

_It's all up in the air and we stand still to see what comes down  
I don't know where it is, I don't know when, but I want you around  
When it falls into place with you and I._

* * *

"I'll never understand why I thought taking Arithmancy was a good idea," Scorpius whispered to his companion. It was a bright-sunny-clear-blue-sky kind of day and he was stuck in the dusty back corner of the library. He had is final in the aforementioned class tomorrow and was beginning to regret ever signing up for it. He was staring at his notes sullenly, wishing that somehow the words written there would transport themselves into his memory. When his co-hort let out, what could only be described as a giggle, he looked up.

Rose was sitting next to him, hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Her eyes were filled with mirth as she tried to tame her laughter, lest she get kicked out of the library.

"What?" He asked a bit moodily. He hated Arithmancy and everything to do with it. He especially hated the fact that he had been sitting in the dark and moldy library for near four hours, when he could be outside, lying beside his favorite fountain and listening to Rose Weasley's sweet, smooth and sensual voice read aloud to him. The overall effect had put him in a bit of a mood.

Rose looked over at him, giggled once more and then said "Nothing. You. You staring at your notes like they have done you a great injustice." She was smiling that sweet smile again and Scorpius found himself brightening. He was just admiring how the sunlight streaming in through the small window was playing with Rose's golden-red locks when she started speaking again. "C'mon, you'll never pass if you don't start studying." She was only half teasing. Heaving a theatrical sigh, Scorpius opened his dreaded Arithmancy text and started to memorize formulas.

His recent dislike for Arithmancy had half to do with the subject itself and half to do with the fact that he couldn't concentrate on formulas and numbers today. He blamed the beautiful weather and the incredibly distracting girl next to him. She had worn her hair up today and Scorpius found it beyond troubling. Having her hair up made him acutely aware of her soft face and slender neck. Also every time that ponytail moved, Scorpius caught the scent of lilacs that was slowly driving him round the bend. Groaning inwardly he focused on the print of the text. Professor Boot was focusing on the much harder Chalden Method of numerology this term and its complication and incredible dullness was exactly what Scorpius needed to take his mind off Rose Weasely and the fact that her white cotton blouse was unbuttoned at the top again.

Rose for her part was having a difficult time focusing on the task at hand as well. She was very aware of Scorpius' presence next to her. She was mildly concerned about the two of them being seen together, but every time her anxiety peaked over what would happen if someone happened to wander to the very dark, very depressing, very hidden corner of the library where they were deeply emerged in Arithmancy tomes, she would tell herself that studying with a fellow prefect wasn't a crime. _'We aren't doing anything wrong,'_ Rose told herself and forced herself to believe it. Feeling torn she reached across the small desk to where her scrap parchment was laying.

She didn't even look up from her book until she felt Scorpius' hand on her own.

* * *

Scorpius wasn't sure what had made him do it. All he knew was that he had been a state of limbo for the past week or so and he didn't think that his heart, head or hormones could take it anymore. He didn't want to be Rose's friend, at least not just her friend. Unfortunately he hadn't done anything in the past week or so to make her aware of that little fact. He had almost kissed her a few day ago when she was talking about the Gryffindor ring around her slender neck. It was the combination of the setting sun and her overwhelming lilac scent that had put him on edge. But when she smiled at him, that sweet, friendly smile, he knew that he couldn't. She didn't see him that way._ Did she?_

But sitting in close proximity to her all day had once again put his frayed nerves on edge and he couldn't help himself. It was time to make a move. He thought that kissing her out of the blue would gain him nothing but a black eye and the loss of a study partner, so he started slow. He saw her hand reaching for the scrap parchment between the two of them and before he could fully register what he was doing, his hand reached out and placed itself on top of her pale smooth one. He made sure to keep his eyes on his book even though he wasn't reading it at all. He just couldn't stand to see her clear blue eyes with disgust in them. He was so sure that she was hating every clammy moment that his hand was in contact with hers. He was certain that he was perilously close to death. She was three and a half seconds from blasting his nose off. He knew it. He was certain. He was preparing himself for it.

What he wasn't prepared for was her clasping his hand back and shifting her fingers so she could better grasp his.

Emboldened by his success, he chanced a glance at her through his eyelashes. She was blushing but had a smile on. He smiled too, face still buried in his book. He didn't want her to see that he was blushing as well. His sweaty hand had a mind of it's own it seemed and his traitorous thumb started rubbing small circles in her soft skin. When she didn't pull away but rather grabbed his hand and brought it beneath the table, so they could continue their ministrations in private, Scorpius was fairly certain that one of two things were going to happen. One: he was going to explode from either happiness or pent up desire or two: he was going to die of relief. She didn't hate him, she didn't hex his face off. And he was fairly certain she was enjoying the newly discovered joy in hand holding.

Not caring that he looked like a third year, who was grinning like a maniac because he was finally touching a girl's hand, Scorpius continued to stroke Rose's fingers and read though his Arithmancy notes. But when she returned his caresses, he lost track of what he was reading and had to count to three to stop himself from kissing her madly.

* * *

The next day, Rose Weasley was on cloud nine. She had just passed her Arithmancy Final with flying colors, she was fairly certain she was going to be made Head Girl next year, and she had just gotten a letter from mum saying that her father had been promoted. Add to that the fact that the weather seemed to be mirroring her mood (Sunny and Hopeful), and it's fairly safe to say that Rose was having the best of days.

She was skipping out to the back fountain to talk with Scorpius and tell him all about her wonderful day. Not even pausing to ask herself when telling Scorpius of all people became the first thought in her head. She bypassed a row of suits of armor, checking her reflection quickly in their shiny chest plates.

Humming faintly and very poorly, she rounded the corner that would lead her to the back of the school. She was so eager to see Scorpius that she didn't notice a large group of 7th year Gryffindors headed her way until she ran into them. Literally.

"Hey there," said a familiar voice as Rose attempted to maintain her balance. Strong arms steadied her and when she looked up she was staring in to the familiar brown eyes of James Potter.

"Hey!" Rose greeted enthusiastically. She had always looked up to her barely older cousin and had always gotten along with him very well. But despite being in the same house, they rarely saw each other while in school. None of their classes coincided.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" James asked. Rose found her self fumbling for an excuse, a lie, _anything_. As much as James and her got along, she had a feeling that he wouldn't feel that great about her being friends with a Malfoy. He was more Weasley than Potter in that respect.

"Nowhere," Rose mumbled, looking towards her feet. Waiting until her face became less red before looking at James. "What are you up too? Shouldn't you be studying? I mean you do have N.E.W.T's this year," Rose said, a slight reprimand in her voice, very aware that the tips of her ears were still bright red. She desperately hoped that the question would distract James enough so he wouldn't notice.

"Yes mum!" James rolled his eyes. "I was on my way to the library actually. I was just letting off a little steam after my Potions N.E.W.T today." With that, he gave a huge shrug and rolled his head around, as if he was loosening a kink. Rose was fairly certain she was in the clear, when Scorpius choose that very moment to walk past. He didn't say anything to Rose (_'Thank Merlin!'_), but he did give her the subtlest of winks as he strode behind James.

Rose turned pink again.

James noticed this time and turned his head just in time to see Scorpius walking out the back door. "I can't stand that smarmy bastard." James' voice was cold and harsh, and his eyes were hard and narrowed.

Rose was three seconds away from coming to Scorpius' defense, when she caught herself. "Why?" she asked in a mildly curious voice.

James turned his hard look on her. "Is that a serious question?" James said, a frightful bite behind his voice. Rose had heard it before, but never once had it been directed towards her. "He and his whole family are nothing but a bunch a worthless, vile Death Eaters. I mean his dad tried to kill Albus Dumbledore. Merlin Rose!" James was getting visibly riled up now and Rose thought that it was probably best to put an end to this conversation before he got violent.

"James," Rose said quietly and patiently. Desperately trying not to think that James Potter had just popped her happiness bubble, she made a very valid point. "Scorpius isn't a Death Eater." At James' fierce look she backtracked. "I'm not denying what his family is, but that doesn't mean he's like them." She was trying to break through James' stereotype, and felt she was doing a very poor job indeed. "He's not…" Rose faltered not wanting to give anything away. "He's not bad," she finished lamely.

"How do you know?" James asked, edge in his voice still evident.

"He's a prefect with Albus and I." Rose answered quickly. At Albus' name James visibly relaxed. "Scorpius is surprisingly nice, and courteous." _'Really Weasley you are horrible at this. Courteous?! Really?!'_ Rose reprimanded herself. "Albus thinks so too." It wasn't a lie and it was the perfect thing to get the spotlight off her.

"Still…" James still looked a little worried. "Just stay away from him Rose. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

* * *

Scorpius was waiting at the fountain for Rose when she finally escaped James. He had shed his book bag and was loosening his tie when he saw her come out the back door. Her forehead was puckered in thought and she was chewing on her bottom lip with so much force he felt that she was going to draw blood. She was walking with purpose and it wasn't until she was closer to him that he realized that Rose was angry.

He had never seen her upset before and he was now realizing that he didn't like it. Not one bit. Rose Weasley should never be upset. She should be happy all the time, smiling that sweet smile. He wanted to hurt whoever had caused her distress, whoever had made her upset. And that was the train of thought Scorpius was following when Rose finally came to stand behind him.

Rose _was_ angry, Rose _was_ upset. Upset that some stupid family grudge was going to keep her from being friends with Scorpius._ 'Or possibly more...'_ a corner of her mind whispered to her._ 'Shut up back there!'_ she reprimanded it forcefully. She was cursing James Potter for being such a git. Of course it wasn't his fault. It was the way he (and she) was raised. But that didn't make it anymore acceptable. He should have a mind of his own! He shouldn't pass judgment on people who have done him no harm!

The worst part of it all was that Rose knew that he was not the only Potter-Weasely descendant who would feel this way. Stupid grudge! Stupid stereotype. It was ruining her chances of moving things forwards with Scorpius. Because, she finally admitted to herself today during the Arithmancy exam, she _did_ want to move things forward with Scorpius.

Now that she knew that he felt the same way as she did, (Thinking back of their hand-holding-study-session of yesterday still brings a smile to Rose's face.) it was taking all her will power to stop herself from kissing his sweet lips. Unfortunately, instead of giving her butterflies of joy in her stomach, that thought only brought her back to cursing James Potter and the rest of his (and her) family, for indulging stupid prejudices.

She avidly avoided thinking about what her father would say if he knew what she was thinking.

"Hey you," She heard a voice say. It was Scorpius. He had an ugly face on and Rose stopped her inward storming to question him about it.

Scorpius was still thinking about the many painful ways he could hurt the prat who had upset Rose. Thoughts of pliers, hot candle wax, and eyelashes zoomed out of his head however at her next words.

"What's wrong with you?" Normally Scorpius would not be fazed by a question of this manner, but normally Rose wouldn't be glaring at his loosened tie and her voice would have carried a kinder inflection. Shocked and a little bit hurt (He was, after all, just thinking about torturing some unsuspecting sod in her name), Scorpius didn't exactly think before his mouth answered.

"Nothing! What's your problem?" Not the best way to calm the situation.

Rose had just surpassed angry and was rapidly approaching furious. Scorpius' tone did not help. She looked at his face, he looked offended. Instead of thinking that maybe he was upset because she was being a bit crass, blind fury made her snap. "Oh! Nothing at all!" Rose said, her sarcasm coming to her defense now. Can't he see that she was upset because her stupid family was making things difficult for them? Didn't he understand the pressure she was under? Didn't he grasp that she was falling in love with him and it was creating a gulf between her and her stupid family? Judging by his half-confused, half-infuriated face, she gathered not. "Never mind." Rose said with a sigh of annoyance.

Scorpius was sufficiently peeved. All he wanted to do was spend a little time with Rose before his Defense exam, but clearly that was going to have to wait, considering some cruel hellion had taken her place. Angrily picking up his forgotten bag, he narrowed his eyes and quit the whole stupid conversation. "Fine then." He couldn't stop his mouth from forming the words. "I won't mind." And with that he brushed past her and stomped his way to the castle. Just when he thought he was getting close...

Rose stood there shocked. How dare he walk away from her? How dare he be upset? Ignoring the tears that where forming, she looked at the fountain ahead of her, and suddenly hated it. It had started this whole stupid thing._ 'Rose. That makes no bloody sense,'_ a voice that sounded an alarming amount like Common Sense told her. She gave no indication that she had heard it. Turning to head back to her dormitory she couldn't help but wondering how a day that had started off so good, could go so wrong, so fast?

And it wasn't until she was laying in her four poster, desperately trying to remember everything she needed for her Charms exam, that it occurred to her.

She had absolutely no idea what she and Scorpius had fought about.

* * *

A.N: Don't hate me just yet, and Don't hate James quite yet either.

Next time we'll see just how far we can stretch the sexual tension.

Reviewers are better than hot summer days and cool iced tea.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:Not Jo, or Maroon 5. Sorry.

One quote that inspired the heat of this chapter (both literally and figuratively) is from 'Atonement'

_"It was my father's belief that hot weather incouraged loose morals."_

_Chapter Four:_

_Secret_

_Our road is long.  
Your hold is strong.  
Please don't ever let go.  
I know I don't know you,  
But I want you so bad.  
Everyone has a secret,  
But can they keep it?  
Oh no they can't._

The hair on the back of Rose's neck was damp with sweat. The library was uncommonly humid today, her last day of exams. Try as she might, she couldn't get her attention to focus on the Defense notes in front of her. He legs were sticking to the back of the wooden library chair, and all she wanted to do was take a dip in the Black Lake. It was worth risking bodily injury (by way of the giant squid) just to find some relief from the heat. She looked around her, her keen blue eyes taking in her surroundings. All around, her fellow students were also suffering from the sluggish, hazy and drowsy influence of the heat.

She turned the page in her notebook, forcing her eyes back to the black ink there._ "Defensive wand movements and their advantages"_ the headline said. But after reading those words (for the third time) Rose, once again found her attention wavering. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up and her forearms were sticking to the desk top. She felt a trickle of sweat make its way down her back, and fought a moan. It was so hot. Too hot to concentrate. Too hot to study, too hot to do anything but lie around and moan about how hot it was.

Throwing her quill down, Rose sat back in her chair. She couldn't concentrate, she knew this, but she needed to study. After briefly weighing her options, Rose decided that she could study outside, with her feet were submerged in the cool waters of the Black Lake. Wiping the seat from her brow, she gathered her unstudied books, and headed outside. Leaving the stuffy library behind her.

* * *

It looked as if it was going to rain, and Scorpius was okay with that. It was so hot that rain would be a welcome break in the humidity. Loosening his tie, he attempted to cool himself from the overwhelming heat. _'Focus!'_ Scorpius told himself, as he once again found his attention wandering. He was in the Great Hall, attempting to study for Herbology. _'You need to do well on this exam.'_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like his mother said in the back of his head.

But it was so hard to concentrate. He was getting a headache, and a burning desire to go outside and dip his feet in the Black Lake. The heat was making his hands clam up, and his pant legs felt as if they were suffocating him.

Another thought plaguing him, was the fact that he hadn't spoken to Rose in two days. And he was beginning to miss her. Their fight (if you can even call it that) was so stupid, and meaningless. And even now, if you were to ask Scorpius why he and Rose weren't speaking he wouldn't be able to give you an answer. He didn't care if it was his fault, or if it was her fault, or who should be the one to apologize first. He didn't care. He just wanted to be on speaking terms again.

He hadn't even seen her for two days, their schedules so rarely coincided usually, and on finals week it was even worse. He missed her red head, and quiet logical voice. Sighing, he tried to move his thoughts from an enchanting red-head to the difference between the lulling lilies, and the captivating and confounded chincherinchees.

But that didn't last very long. Recognizing a lost cause, Scorpius gathered his books and headed outside. _'Just one quick dip.'_ He told himself. _'Maybe a cool down is exactly what I need. Get my head back in the game'_

_

* * *

_

Rose felt like she was stepping into an oven. It was no cooler outside and to make matters worse the air had taken on a shimmery, wavering and thick quality. It was so humid, it was practically palpable. Stepping out of her black heels, and adjusting her shoulder strap, Rose made her way towards the lake.

The sky was darkening above her, and she fought against a hot wind as she made her way to a secluded section of the Lake. She knew a spot near the Forbidden Forest that no one ever went to. It was the perfect quiet place for her to sit down and study.

Fighting through a couple of unruly branches Rose made her way towards the ancient dock that had been haphazardly constructed about 15 years ago, unbuttoning a few more buttons on her blouse as she walked.

When she looked towards her safe and cool haven though she noticed something amiss.

There was someone there already.

In a rare act of cowardice, she leapt behind a tree and surveyed the interloper. It was a male, pant legs rolled up, feet dangling happily in the cool water. It took a moment for Rose's sluggish mind to catch up with her eyes however, and it wasn't until she saw his tousled blonde head did it register.

It was Scorpius.

He had shed his white school shirt, and was wearing only a tight tank top. His head was tilted back, and his eyes were closed. He looked serene. Rose further scanned the area. His books and white shirt and tie were hanging up on a nearby tree, and his shoes and socks were sitting next to him.

The hot summer wind was raising his hair in little tufts, and Rose found herself with the strong desire to run her fingers though it. The blistering summer sun was playing peek-a-boo with the dark clouds, and their viscous battle was making Scorpius' blonde hairs shine with each victory of the sun.

Rose felt her heart speed up. Her eyes roving over his still form. The muscles in his arms were taught and strained, and Rose felt her eyes following their long and lean lines.

He looked god-like, and Rose quickly found herself converting.

She started playing with the necklace around her neck again, and found her thoughts drifting. Her overactive imagination was rapidly constructing a scene in which those strong arms were wrapped around her, his soft lips were kissing her, his rough hands were making trails down her body. She bit her lip as the Scorpius in her fantasy began murmuring sweet words, as his hands continued to incite shivers all down the length of her body. Her legs, her arms, her chest. All of it was for him to touch, to explore. His lips were soft, and playing with a sensitive spot on her neck. "Rose." Dream-Scorpius whispered into her hair. His arms were holding her close. "Rose." Dream-Scorpius repeated. The way he said her name made it sound like a prayer.

"Rose?"

Rose was abruptly pulled from her daydream with all the shock of cold water. There was no dream-Scorpius, just real-life-Scorpius. The same Scorpius that she had avoided for the past two days. The one who was currently standing before her, pant legs still rolled up, feet wet, and with a most inquisitive look on his face.

"Oh. Hi." Rose said in a breathless panic.

* * *

Scorpius was leaning back on his hands, and enjoying the cool waters of the lake, when it happened. He had slipped his eyes closed and was trying to think of anything other than Rose Weasley. He was failing miserably. He missed her. And just as he was beginning to think that maybe he should seek her out so they can both get over this stupid thing between them, it happened.

He smelled her. A distinct lilac scent combined with the slightest hint of parchment and ink. It was carried on a strong gust of hot summer wind.

At first Scorpius just thought it was a fluke. It was just because he was thinking of her, surely she couldn't be here. But once the wind died down and her scent hadn't disappeared, Scorpius found himself opening his eyes to investigate.

There she was, a short metre and a half away from him. She was partially hidden behind a large tree, her hair was pulled up in a long ponytail, that was being blown recklessly around by the pre-storm wind. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. Scorpius' eyes roamed from her slightly parted, panting lips to her throat. He watched as her throat worked in a furious swallow, his eyes trailing to the partially unbuttoned white shirt. He could see the beginnings of a lacy white bra. He knew he should look away, it wasn't right his Conscious said. But his Conscious was quickly bludgeoned by the more interested and devious part of his muddled mind. The white cotton blouse was strained with every pant that came from Rose. And Scorpius was transfixed by the motion of the buttons.

He felt himself move before he was aware of giving his limbs the command to do something. He was still fixated on those white buttons, and he didn't remember any thought to move, all he wanted to do was relieve those strained buttons of their burden. He imagined slipping those little buttons out of their holes, his nimble fingers making quick work of the long line of buttons. He would kiss her, and whisper in her ear, and finally run his hands in those long red locks. He would wrap her up in him, he would... he would...

His brain had stalled on what would happen after that.

And it was that lack of imagining, that brought him back to reality. His mind cleared from the fog, (not completely, it was still a bit muddled on the outskirts) and he was shocked to see his hand was stretched out before him. Quickly shoving the offending body part in his pocket, he looked at Rose. She hadn't noticed his inappropriate intentions, in fact Scorpius was pretty sure she hadn't noticed _any_ of his movements. Her eyes were still closed and as he watched she licked her lips, a quick darting of tongue over chapped lips. She looked pleasurably pained and that got Scorpius thinking. What was wrong? Was she having some sort of fit? What was she even doing here? And how long had she been here to begin with?

The thousands of questions that ran through Scorpius sufficiently cleaned mind, he had a great many things he wanted to say. However all that came out was...

"Rose?"

He watched her eyes snap open, and suddenly he was assaulted by how blue they were.

Blue, and slightly dark. But quickly becoming more and more agitated.

"Oh. Hi." she was panicked, Scorpius could tell.

And then they both stood there and stared at each other. It was the most uncomfortable of experiences, and just before Scorpius was going to burst with discomfort, his rattled brain came up with some words.

"Hi." Not very elegant or loquacious, but it did the job of breaking the mounting tension.

"Hi." she said again, her eyes roving back and forth between his. Scorpius felt as if he was being looked into. As if those blue eyes were looking into his thoughts. And considering where his thoughts just were, he felt himself begin to blush. And of course just the mere thought of what he was thinking about before this little interlude, brought Scorpius' thoughts right back to that vivid fantasy. Unable to take her gaze he looked down.

She was barefoot, and her toenails were bright red. That threw him. He never imagined that Rose Weasley was the type of girl who bothered to do such frivolous things as paint her toe nails._'Curious.'_ Was all Scorpius' over-stimulated mind was able to conjure.

Somewhere between Scorpius looking down, and a bright red pinky toe, Rose had started talking. Well not talking per se, more like keeping up a long, breathless, and slightly panicked monologue that was becoming more and more frenzied. All Scorpius caught as his depraved eyes traveled back up her shapely form, were the words "apologize", "James", "git", "steamed", "mood" and "Are you even listening to me?"

Scorpius, his eyes locked firmly on her full, blabbering mouth, nodded. Even though he hadn't been listening. Well not completely. How could he, when her blouse was gaping open like that again?

She began looking around uncomfortably again, and Scorpius found the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Do you want to sit?"

She looked at him suddenly, and Scorpius thought that maybe he was just glutton for punishment. How on earth could he sit next to her, and her blue eyes and pink lips and actually hold a conversation? But when she blushed pink, smiled shyly, and pushed the sweaty strands of hair out of her face, he found that he really didn't care if he was going to end up stewing in a pot of hormones, all that mattered was that smile and keeping it on her face.

"Yeah" she mumbled, dropping her bag from her shoulder and walking towards the dock. "I'd like that." and with that she put her bag, shoes, and tie at the end the dock and sat down, dipping her red toes into the cool water. Scorpius just watched her, a dazed sort of smile on his face.

* * *

A while later, Scorpius' mind was clear once again, and he was happily dangling his feet in the cool waters of the Black Lake. From the moment he had sat down next to Rose his mind had been in a frenzy, but once the tips of his toes had touched the icy cool of the lake, he found himself calming down. He was able to think clearly again, and control himself enough so he did not say, or do anything insane (or at the very least morbidly embarrassing). And now he was happily enjoying something that had been missing from his life for two days too long; Rose's company.

Sure his tee-shit was still sticking to his lower back, his pant legs were still attracting he sun to him like a homing beacon, and he was fairly sure his nose was a bit sunburned, but he found he didn't mind all that much. His feet were cool, the sun was shining and a beautiful girl was sitting next to him, telling him tales of the past two days. Her voice was steady and as soothing as the cool water.

"I know that James was only being the over-protective git he always is, but the things he was saying..." she trailed off, her long red ponytail being thrown about in the pre-storm winds. She turned to him, blue eyes squinting against the suddenly bright sun. "It wasn't right." she mumbled.

Scorpius was anything but shocked at her story. James' attitude was to be expected. His father, James' father and Rose's father had a history._ A lot of history_. And he knew this, and he understood it. Despite all of Draco Malfoy's faults, Scorpius still loved him, and couldn't stop the fact that he was his father. He wouldn't want to change that fact. If his father hadn't been who he was, Scorpius wouldn't be who he was today. His father's mistakes taught him a lot, and his father's past had toughened him to criticism. It was only natural that he was going to be compared to his father, and expected to have the same thoughts and beliefs that his father had when he was his age. That didn't change who Scorpius was. He wasn't like his father. He didn't care a lick about pureblood, or muggle-borns or any of that. And the best part is that Draco had never forced to be his son to be anything other than himself. He never pushed his ideals on him, and Scorpius respected him for it. Scorpius was allowed to be his own person, and he had spent most of his Hogwarts career trying to differentiate himself from his father, and let people see him for who he really was.

However he was pleasantly surprised to hear Rose defend him to her cousin. It gave hin a bit of a swooping feeling in his stomach that wasn't all together horrible.

"I'm sorry." Rose suddenly said, eyes downcast. That pulled Scorpius from his musings and made him look at her.

"Why?" he asked just as suddenly.

"For my family's attitude. It's not right." Her shoulders were stooped and her voice was small. "They shouldn't put you into a group just because of who your father is. James knows how much it sucks, and he should really know better. Flaming hypocrite." She had said the last bit with an edge to her voice that Scorpius didn't like.

"You can't change what your family thinks Rose." Scorpius said before she could get any darker. "You don't think that way." Suddenly he wasn't so sure. "Do you?" he asked meekly.

"Of course not!!!!" Rose exclaimed. Her head whipping back up, her ponytail grazing his shoulder and tossing her lilac sent back into the air. "I wouldn't... I could never... I don't..."

Scorpius cut her off before she got herself even more tongue-tied. "Alright then." he said simply. Privately relieved that the girl he fancied didn't hate his existence or upbringing, he lay back on the dock and allowed his body to relax.

Rose, biting her bottom lip, watched him, confused. Was it really that simple? She wondered. She had practically told him that her family was actively prejudiced against him and it was okay? He accepted it with a small shrug and a fleeting smile?

"Are we okay?" she asked, uncertain.

"Of course." His eyes were closed, and he was supporting his head with his hands. After a moment, he squinted one grey eye at her. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Still unsure, Rose looked across the lake to where she could see the hazy silhouette of the castle. "I don't know." was all she was able to come up with. "I just... I don't know."

"We're fine." Scorpius said with finality, and closed his eyes again. His face the very image of peace.

"Okay." came Rose's reply. And with that she joined him in laying back on the dock, feet in the water, and enjoying the sun.

They stayed that way, laying next to each other and soaking in the sun. Rose was humming faintly a tune she had long forgotten the words too, and Scorpius was smirking lightly at her warbled notes. The sky above them still had heavy dark clouds hanging in it, and Scorpius thought that it was going to rain soon. But even though he knew that the forthcoming storm would break the humidity and make living bearable again, deep down he didn't want to the rain to come. He didn't want time to move, he didn't want his Herbology exam to come. He didn't want anything to happen that would take him from Rose's side.

When Rose stopped humming, he squinted at her again. Her eyes were closed and her forehead was puckered in thought. Her full lips were pink against her pale, but freckled skin. The sun was bringing out the gold in her red hair, and the wind was teasing with her limp locks. Scorpius found himself jealous of the wind. He wanted to badly to run his hands in her hair. He, just once, wanted to feel it. Know if it was really as soft as it looked._ 'It has to be.'_ he thought, and he wondered if her scent would linger on him if he buried his face in her soft hair. What would...

"Do you want to study?" If Scorpius had not been watching her so intently he wouldn't have known she spoke, that's how soft her voice was.

"Not even remotely." It wasn't a lie.

"Me neither." Rose said. She turned her head to face his, and shielded her blue eyes with her hand.

And for the longest time they lay like that. Looking at each other, just close enough to touch, but not quite. Heat radiating off each other, and adding to the muggy air.

In an act that would've done the brave Godric Gryffindor proud, Scorpius grabbed Rose's hand. He watched her smile widen and her blush spread from her neck as he did. Still he did not look away. He was shocked when she turned of her side to face him, and even more shocked to find himself mirroring her motions.

Rose was not nearly as surprised as she thought she would be. But deep down she knew that she had sat down on this dock for one purpose. To find out if there was even going to be anything between her and Scorpius. Anything more than friendship that is.

But as she watched Scorpius watch her so intently, smelling as sweet as he did, and looking as rumpled as he did, she found that all her clever moves, and organized thoughts flew right out of her head. She was up in the cyclone again. And judging by the way Scorpius was holding on to her hand, she assumed he was along for the ride.

A dark cloud covered the sun and Rose was able to stop shielding her eyes with her hand. Bravely, before she could comprehend it, and before she could stop herself, she put her free hand in Scorpius' dark blonde locks. They were soft and her fingers felt good in them. Scorpius had closed his eyes and was leaning into her touch.

Their position was awkward, with their legs still suspended over the edge on the dock, their clothes twisted and spun around them in a damp mess, the heat making their sweat pool together in the hollow of their clasped hands. But neither of them moved. Scared to break the spell, desperate for the moment to last. A moment in which their were no labels. Not Ravenclaw, nor Gryffindor. Malfoy, Weasley, Pureblood, Half-blood. None of it mattered.

Rose licked her dry lips, her hand still in Scorpius' hair. Scorpius' grey eyes watched her, and grew darker. He was looking through her now. As if everything, her clothes, her walls, her knowledge, none of it made a difference. It was just her. It was his intense stare that made her exhale a breath she didn't know she was holding. Scorpius was looking at her lips now and she knew what was going to happen.

"Scorpius..." She breathed, giving him permission and expressing her own desire in one simple word.

Scorpius didn't need telling twice. He drew closer, so close, her scent was all around him. Closer and closer.

And just as Scorpius was closing his eyes and puckering his lips, the skies opened up.

It was the kind of rain that happens so fast that you didn't know what to do. It was also the type of rain that hurt. A lot.

And for one moment they continued to lay there, getting throughly soaked to the bone, staring at each other. Each unable to say anything.

And then a large drop hit Rose in the eye and she made a soft noise of displeasure. Suddenly she was up, and Scorpius was gathering their soaked bags, and shoes, and clothes. And Rose was leading the way back to the school. Both desperate to get out of the cold rain.

The heat had finally broken.

* * *

After what had seemed like the longest run back to the dry, safety of the castle, Rose and Scorpius stood, panting, dripping, and exhausted one of the lesser used back hallways, with no one but suits of armor for company

"Thanks." Rose said breathlessly, as she slipped her wet feet, and red toes back into her school shoes. She took two steps toward Scorpius and grabbed her bag from his outstretched hand. She fumbled a bit when she noticed that his shirt was soaked though. She could see ever curve beneath the stretched, wet fabric. She felt the blush roll up her neck, and quickly averted her eyes.

"No problem." Scorpius said in a choked voice. He too was noticing the rain soaked clothes. Rose's white shirt was throughly drenched, and he could just make out the soft curves of her breasts and her perky, pink nipples, through her lacy, wet bra. Eyes widening, he quickly found something interesting on the ceiling to examine, and tried to think of ice cubes.

"See you later?" Rose mumbled. She was scuffing her black shoes on the stone, and was pointedly not looking at the boy before her.

"Yeah." Scorpius said in a strangled voice, before turning on his heel. "See you." he mumbled as he made way to his dormitory.

He hoped that Rose wasn't too offended. But he had to brush her off. Because if he hadn't he was fairly sure that if he stayed there he was going to push her up against the closest wall and ..._ 'Stop!'_ Scorpius reprimanded himself. _'Don't even think it. Or it will make even walking the most difficult of tasks.'_

And the only thing that Scorpius thought of as he adamantly did not think about Rose Weasley was one simple, true, and troubling fact.

He hadn't studied.

_'Shit.'_

* * *

Rose Weasley skidded to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, still a wee bit soggy and smelling of rain, with mere moments to spare. After taking her quill out of her slightly damp bag, and fending off a furious whisper from Lucy (_'Where HAVE you been!?'_), her mind went blank.

She didn't finish her studying.

And although that knowledge would've sent her into a panic attack normally, all she thought about was Scorpius' stormy grey eyes, and she felt her breathing calm.

A smile spreading across her face, Rose dipped her quill in her ink pot, and started her exam.

She wasn't prepared to take this, but for the first time in 6 years she wasn't nervous for an exam. And that had to count for something right?

Who knew Scorpius would've ended up saving her?

* * *

END FOUR

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far (and will hopefully do again). I am truly grateful.

I hope you enjoyed. But now I'm off to bed.

_Chapter 5: Rose and Scorpius have an awakening of sorts, and lazy days are explored as test results are waited for._


	5. Chapter 5

A.N: Don't forget to review my lovelies.. Property belongs to JKR, L. Frank Baum, and Dashboard Confessional

* * *

_We love in secret names  
We hide within our veins  
The things that keep us bound to one another_

_There is a secret that we keep_  
_I won't sleep if you won't sleep_  
_Because tonight may be the last chance we'll be given_  
_We are compelled to do what we must do_  
_We are compelled to do what we have been forbidden_

* * *

"I can't wink," Rose confessed.

"You can't wink?" Scorpius asked, incredulous. "How is that even possible?"

"I dunno," Rose shrugged. "I just can't. Watch." And with that Rose turned her face toward Scorpius' and attempted to wink. She succeeded in screwing up in her face in a comical manner before closing both of her eyes. Scorpius could help himself and burst out laughing.

"That's hilarious!" Scorpius continued to cackle, while Rose pretended to glare at him for a few moments, before busting up herself.

After yesterday's big storm, the heat had mellowed and the temperature was quite manageable. Rose and Scorpius were laying out in the grass by their fountain and swapping stories. Both were laying on their backs with their heads together and their legs in opposite directions. Scorpius was close to the long layers of red silk he dreamed about so much, and Rose was feeling light-headed after discovering that the honey scent that hung around Scorpius was a product of the type of shampoo he used.

After the pair had quieted, the conversation came to a lull. Scorpius twisted his head around to look at his companion. She was wearing a pale blue sun dress and her eyes were closed as she absorbed the sun. Her forehead had little creases in it from squinting at the sun's blinding glare. She had shed her shoes (her toes were still bright red), the freckles on her face had darkened, and the very tip of her nose was pink due to the sun. He watched as she picked up the familiar necklace around her neck and started fiddling with it. Although the heat and humidity had subsided, the burning desire that Scorpius had yesterday to kiss Rose had not abated. But not wanting to push her and not knowing whether or not yesterday was a fluke, he resisted. Even now though, as he watched her innocently lay in the sun, her crimson locks smelling so sweet near his eager hands, her necklace making soft chiming noises as she spun the ring around, Scorpius felt his resolve wavering.

He could just imagine how those soft pink-lips would feel beneath his own, her slender fingers as she dug them into his hair, her soft moans as he teased the skin of her neck, what she would smell like, what she would taste like...

A soft moan from Rose cut off Scorpius' fantasies. Oh shit. He hadn't been thinking out loud again had he? Oh sweet Merlin....

"The sun feels nice." Rose murmured. She turned her head to look at Scorpius, and Scorpius felt his heart skip a beat or two. "I'm glad the humidity broke. Makes it all so much more bearable. Don't you think?" She was looking at him with those disarming blue eyes again, and Scorpius felt himself nod in agreement. In that moment we would've agreed with anything Rose Weasley had to say. The wind blew a large gust of Rose-scented air in his direction, and he felt himself pulling his face toward hers. The grass beneath his fingers, bare arms and exposed skin tickled. He heard the trickling water in the fountain in his head and his thudding pulse pounding in his ears. Her sweet breath as she gasped, her eyes lingered on his lips, and his searched hers vigorously. He was mesmerized. He needed to taste her now. He was sure if he were to wait another moment he would explode. Just as he was turning his head to avoid the inevitable bumping of his nose against her chin, he heard the clock toll.

It was three o'clock. Damn. Time's up.

Taking a deep breath Scorpius gathered every inch of strength he had, and pulled away with a disappointed sigh.

Rose's eyes were wide. After he pulled back, her head cleared and she recited a vile stream of curse words in her mind. She had to go. She didn't want to but she had made a promise, and Rose Weasley is selfless. She isn't one to break a promise. She muttered a pathetic-longing-filled groan.

She _had_ to go. She promised little Lily Potter that she would have lunch with her. They were both done with exams and were just waiting for the test results to come back. Lily had cornered her the other day, demanding that they get in some quality girl time before summer break, before they would be sequestered in their respective house with no one but their annoying brothers for company (Lily's words).

Rose sighed. She didn't want to move, but she knew that she would never break her promise. "I've…" Rose began, sitting up.

"I know," Scorpius replied. He too sat up. He stretched his arms above his head and watching the way that made the muscles in his arms tighten almost made Rose lose her will to leave. Almost. But then he stood completely and held his hand out to her. "You've got to go."

Rose grabbed his hand and tried to ignore the heat rushing though her body at the casual touch, she felt the blush climb up her neck and make its self known on her pale cheeks. "Yeah," She mumbled before lifting her body off the ground with Scorpius' help. Before he released her hand, he pulled her close and pushed a piece of hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.

He was so close, she could smell his honeysuckle shampoo again, and found her concentration wavering. "See you soon?" he questioned, his eyes dark.

"Yes," She whispered. "Later. After dinner. In the library," She continued, knowing that the back room where they had studied a mere five days ago would be incredibly empty now that exams were done.

"Ok," He breathed. It was only then that Rose noticed that his breathing was a bit uneven too.

"ROSE?" Came a voice from the school. Rose whipped her head toward the noise, hitting Scorpius in the eyes with her long ponytail, before taking a large step away from him.

Scorpius, too busy dealing with the fact that his stinging eyes were watering, didn't take much notice to Rose's abrupt distancing.

Lily Potter was walking toward them with her usual determined gait. She too had shed her school robes, and was wearing a pair of tattered old jeans, with her bright red hair in a sloppy bun at the base of her neck. "Rose." She called as she walked toward the fountain, and Rose felt the blush creeping along her face again. She tried to remember that she had been doing nothing wrong, but couldn't quite bring herself to believe it. She only hoped that Lily would be too distracted by her own problems to notice Rose's red cheeks and averted gaze.

Scorpius cleared his throat loudly, and Rose felt her eyes snap to him. Lily had come within hearing range now, and Scorpius thought it was best to get the story down now, before the littlest Potter could go running to her siblings. "So I'll see you later for Prefect duty right? We have to patrol the fourth floor." Scorpius turned to Rose and winked.

This made her even redder than earlier, but something about the way Scorpius was looking at her now emboldened her, because she added a cheeky. "I hope we can continue this conversation then." Before giving Scorpius her twisted version of a wink as well. He started laughing, the gleam of something less innocent in his eye.

"Definitely." And with that Scorpius took is hormone ravaged body, and hungry eyes back to the castle. As he passed Lily he ruffled her red-head and gave her a bright "Hiya Potter."

Lily smirked at him before answering with the customary "Sup Malfoy?" Scorpius smiled and headed to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Scorpius shook his head as he wandered the halls. It was odd that the person he knew the most and got along the best with from the Weasley-Potter Clan (with the exception of Rose, of course) was the little Lily Potter. Scorpius knew Lily before he even knew Rose. In Lily's second year she had asked Scorpius to help her raise her Defense Against the Dark Arts grade. Scorpius was one of the best in his year at the subject (the irony of which he already knew and didn't need pointed out to him, thankyouverymuch), but when he asked her why she wanted _his_ help, her answer shocked him. Sure, she could go to her older brothers, or her brilliant red haired cousin, but then soon the entire family would know that she was struggling in Defense. Defense of all subjects! And while she knew her family would love her regardless, and her parents would never be anything but proud of her ('I can do no wrong in their eyes' Lily had said), she didn't think she was able to deal with the level of scrutiny that would come with having her entire family know her failings. Plus she knew that Scorpius would never talk to either of her siblings and she was desperate to avoid their teasings if she could help it. So what did he think? Could he help her out?

What could he say? He knew the kind of pressure that your family could put on you, and he could only imagine what being the kid of famous Harry Potter meant in the self-confidence department. He didn't even want to imagine the kind of stress that her family (and the ever present press) had unintentionally put on her little shoulders. So Scorpius ditched his friends every Thursday night of fourth year and spent the majority of the time tutoring Lily in the abandoned Astronomy tower, until her grade was raised to a respectable level. Professor Creevey was pleased. And oddly enough, so was Scorpius. Sure he'd never been able to tell a soul about his good deed (Lily threaten him with Bat-Bogeys if he so much as muttered a peep), but he found that he didn't want to. He genuinely enjoyed Lily's company. She was a straight forward kind of girl who put up with no pretenses. She rarely whined, and knew how to throw a good right hook if she needed to. (Scorpius knew from experience. Apparently Lily was the only one who was able to take cracks at her older brothers. Scorpius had to tell everyone that he had tripped into a doorknob until the swelling in his black eye become less noticeable). In the end, they had remained friends on the sly and occasionally met back up in their impromptu classroom and talked about their lives.

Turned out that she was more Potter than Weasley and for that Scorpius was grateful.

When he walked into his dormitory he noticed something odd. His school bag that he had left on the floor was now on his bed, and it's contents spilled across the dark blue coverlet. Lifting his eyebrows, he searched through the mess. He sifted through parchment and notebooks and other rubbish to find Rose's battered green-covered copy of the Wizard of Oz (on loan from her, with a promise to let no harm come to it whatsoever). He pushed the mess aside and sat down, idly flipping though the dog-eared pages. Who had been looking through his bag? He was concerned and a bit peeved. Who had the nerve to just rifle through his personal belongings? What if they had spilled ink on Rose's precious book? What if it had ended up ruined due to someone else's carelessness?

And then Scorpius had a thought that froze the blood in his veins. What if someone knew it was hers? What if someone had been riffling through his things, because they suspected him and Rose? What if it was someone who had no qualms about telling his father what Scorpius had been doing with his free time?

He felt his face pale. He knew that he and Rose had been doing nothing wrong. But still he had been very careful to keep his new-found extra-curricular activities from his doting parents. He doubted that they would approve. His mother would probably get over it quickly, claiming it to be nothing more that a childish infatuation, but his father...

Scorpius threw his head back on his bed, knocking his temple against his Arithmancy book in the process, but he was panicking too much to really care. His father would not get over it. His father would be appalled, bitterly angry and very put out. After all it was thanks to Rose's brilliant mother that Draco had managed to finally get his father out of prison, but apparently Rose's father did not approve. It had ended in Ron and Draco getting in a fist fight in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and destroying nearly 200 galleons of merchandise in the process. No. Father would not be pleased. Draco hated that he had to rely on Hermione Granger of all people (for she was still Granger then) to help him with his family problems. Mildly put, Hermione had come to Draco's rescue and he still felt indebted to the girl. Whenever anyone mentioned the Weasley children in his father's presence, Draco gave a great sneer and abruptly changed the subject.

Oh yes, Scorpius could just imagine what his father would say when he found out that his only son was in love with a Weasley. Scorpius shuddered at the thought.

Before Scorpius could submerge himself in his panic and dread too deeply though, the lavatory door open to revel his roommate and sometimes best friend Dylan Heyman.

Dylan was of Scottish decent, with thick brown, curly hair that was never tame. He had a look of perpetual confusion on his face due to his heavyset eyebrows that protruded just a bit too far off his face; it made him look a bit like a neanderthal. He had an intimidating build, that made him the perfect beater for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and despite his outward appearance, was actually quite jovial and clever. Currently he was standing with a towel around his waist muttering some nonsense about joint rigging and apple tarts, his wet hair dripping on the floor.

Scorpius just turned his head mournfully in Dylan's direction (earning another knock with an Arithmancy corner). "Hey."

"Good God?! Is it true!? Why yes I do believe that it is my best friend," Dylan responded thick with sarcasm. "I thought you died. I was just about to write you mother conveying my condolences."

"Ha. Ha," Scorpius said humorlessly. He turned his head back to the canopy above his bed as Dylan unabashedly began getting dressed. "What's new?"

"Not much. Just been taking my awful exams and messing around. Where have you been?" Dylan asked pointedly

"Nowhere. Around," Scorpius said, hoping Dylan wouldn't pry, but knowing he would.

"Around?" Dylan asked incredulous. "Around where? Whenever I see you lately you are either studying, taking a test, or off with that girl... whatshername? The pretty Prefect-y one? Gryffindor?" Dylan trailed off, trying and failing to tame his hair in the mirror in front of him.

"What are you on about?" Scorpius asked playing dumb. He was on the defense. Maybe he could confuse Dylan enough to try and make him forget what he saw...

"Don't even play innocent with me. I'm the master at that." Giving his hair up as a lost cause, Dylan turned to address Scorpius' guarded eyes. "What's going on mate? Who is she?"

"She's..." Brilliant. Unbelievable. The girl I'm hopelessly in love with. Aphrodite herself. "She's no one." Scorpius heaved a sigh. The statement was not all together untrue. He and Rose seemed stuck in friendship mode. Stalled in first gear, unable to move forward. Another sigh.

"She doesn't look like no one. Why are you always with her?" Dylan was only slightly interested now, his hands inching toward his broomstick, eager to abandon the room for the pitch.

Scorpius considered for the briefest of moments telling Dylan the whole long story. About how he was going against his father's wishes and his mother's expectations and was falling in love with Rose Weasley. He wanted to tell his friend how she made him feel. Light, buoyant, like he hadn't a care in the world. He longed to express how he dreamed of her, imagined her in hundreds of scenarios, thought about her non-stop. He briefly entertained the notion of what Dylan would stutter out when he found out that his best friend had become a love-sick sap.

In the end, he expanded on his lie from before. "She's a prefect with me," Scorpius said, brushing Dylan's inquires off. "It's nothing. We've just been doing some patrolling together lately."

Dylan, already half-way out the door, took the lies as the truth. "Oh. Cool." He shrugged, as his large hand clamped around the handle of his broom. "See you later."

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief. He'd done it. He'd managed to lie his way out of another's questions. He threw the scent off he and Rose's relationship. He should be triumphant.

It made him feel awful. Something that made him so happy shouldn't have to be covered up. Right?

"You'd tell me if anything happened right?" Dylan warily asked, his foot out the door.

Scorpius got a funny twisting feeling in his gut. "Of course." He knew it was lie before he even spoke.

* * *

"His name is Edward Davies. Fifth year. He's brilliant, and funny, and incredibly beautiful. He also has no idea I exist." Lily moaned, as she placed her head on the table.

She and Rose were sitting in the Great Hall, eating an early dinner. Lily was currently in the first stages of her first full blown crush, and had been talking Rose's ear off for the past hour or so about the rather perfect (in her eyes) Edward Davies. Refusing to even speak his name before now, seeing as he had been sitting with his mates at the other end of the long Gryffindor House table.

"I highly doubt that Lil," Rose said, eager to continue the conversation. If she could keep Lily absorbed in her own drama, she would be able to keep the littlest Potter's keen eyes off her and Scorpius.

_'Stop it! There is no you and Scorpius!'_ Bellowed the logical portion of her mind. _'But there could be,'_ The devious part reminded her in a singsong voice. _'Shut up!'_ She shouted at them both.

Rose's self-berating was interrupted by Lily's very unladylike snort.

"Please!" she scoffed. "No one ever sees me as anything but the Littlest Potter. Lily number two." She raised her head off the polished mahogany enough to give Rose a deadly glare through her red fringe. "Even you." She lowered her head again with a thunk. "Besides, James would kill Edward if he knew." She raised her head again. "You better not tell him either. Or Albus. Or Hugo. Or Fred. In fact, pretend this conversation never happened." Lily, once again, thunked her forehead to the table.

Rose couldn't help a giggle. _'Ah! The glory and humiliation of the first crush.'_ She poked Lily's wild red hair. "I'll take it to the grave," She told her little cousin with all seriousness. "So what are you going to do?"

Lily's head shot up, bright hair flying in every direction. "Blah!" She shook her hair out of her face and attempted to tame it behind her ears. "I don't know." She shook her head again and seemed to regain her mind. "Meh. But look at me, sitting here, blithering on like some sort of whinging cow instead of doing anything about it."

There's the Lily, Rose knew and loved. The one with gumption, in spades. She truly was her mother's daughter.

"I'll think of something. It'll be fine," Lily reassured, a determined gleam in her eye. Rose knew that look, and was sure that Edward Davies was going to have no idea what hit him. Possibly quite literally. Blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes Lily changed the subject abruptly and without any finesse.

"So what's the deal with you and Malfoy?"

Rose froze. _'How much did she know?'_

"What?" Rose inquired. Playing dumb was probably the best strategic move right now. "What are you talking about?"

Lily quirked a ginger eyebrow. A look that said 'Don't even attempt to pull that on me.' "You. Malfoy. Together. Earlier. Any of this ringing a bell?"

Rose felt the blush creep up her neck. "Oh." She clutched the goblet in front of her, desperate for a distraction. "We are... We're just...friends," Rose trailed off lamely, her eyes searching the Great Hall for a distraction.

"Hmmmm..." Lily said, ominously.

"What?"

"Nothing." Lily eyed Rose speculatively. Rose's eyes were wild and bright, there was color to her cheeks, and a certain air about her. That little bit of_ je ne sais quoi._ Lily wondered what could have put such a look on Rose's usually sensible face. She had a feeling it was the boy she was currently quizzing Rose about, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

But it was an awful coincidence...

"It's nothing," Rose said with conviction, looking a bit more like herself. "We patrol together sometimes. He's..." she trailed off, unsure whether or not to go on.

"He's something alright," Lily stated, her voice deliberately blank. She took a quick sip of her pumpkin juice, and eyed Rose in a critical manner again.

"Stop it," Rose said. Lily shrugged and took another sip. She looked away to the entrance of the Great Hall, where James was entering noisily with his quidditch mates, which included a reluctant Albus, trailing along after Lucy who was engaged in a very secretive looking conversation with Fred. It looked as if they were planning another prank on the teachers.

Everywhere she looked there were family members, or family friends. Her parents friends. It was impossible to keep a secret in this place.

"You know nothing could ever happen right?" Lily asked leaning in close to Rose's tan shoulder. "Uncle Ron would have an aneurysm. And I'm pretty sure my mom would have a conniption fit that would do Grandma Weasley proud. And not to mention your mum--"

"Lil," Rose interrupted, keeping her voice low as well. "Do I look like an idiot? Of course nothing could happen." Rose shrugged and turned her eyes away from Lily's. "Besides, I don't even like him that way."

Lily highly doubted that, but noticing the fierce look on Rose's face, and seeing as the rest of the Weasley-Potter troupe was about to join them, she wisely kept her qualms to herself.

* * *

Rose was examining her reflection in her vanity. She was due to meet Scorpius in a few minutes and was taking a few calming breaths in the mirror before she set out.

_"The cyclone had set the house down very gently--for a cyclone--in the midst of a country of marvelous beauty. There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. Banks of gorgeous flowers were on every hand, and birds with rare and brilliant plumage sang and fluttered in the trees and bushes. A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, gray prairies."_

Rose ran through the story in her head. What would Dorothy do? What if Auntie Em said she wasn't allowed to go to Oz. It wasn't right. No adventures for you Dorothy, she would say. Would she still go? Would she still have such a great time knowing that it was wrong somehow? Knowing she was upsetting her family? Going against their wishes? Would she still sleep inside the house as the cyclone brought her closer to her adventure? Not be worried, but excited some how?

Rose had a feeling she knew what Dorothy would do.

With one last glance, she went to go meet Scorpius.

* * *

Scorpius was pacing. Sure it looked like he was just trying to decided between two books in the library's Business section (_Leadership Lessons From The Lap of Horace Slughorn_ on the far end, and _Think You're Ethical? You're Not!_ on the near side) but really he was pacing.

She was late.

Why would she be late? What was holding her up? Maybe she had been waylaid on the way over? But why? Was it his snooper? Asking her questions about him? Was he becoming paranoid?

Scorpius gulped at the thought and continued pacing, spinning the Ethics book in his hands as he went.

It was quiet tonight in the library. That was a bit of an understatement. It was dead. Scorpius was positive that he was the only living soul in the library, the cacophonic ghostly Librarian-in-training Myrtle, who was filling in for the ancient and crusty Madam Pince-Filch (who apparently had a date with her equally ancient and crusty husband) was busy floating about in the stacks, lamenting the end of her poor life. It was a favorite past time of hers.

Scorpius stopped his frenzied pacing at the nearest table. Tossing the book down he ran a hand though his hair and gave a great sigh. What was he doing? What was he thinking? This was bad. This was wrong. Father would absolutely kill him, and just the thought of his mother's green eyes narrowed in disappointment and exasperation at his actions had him shaking his head. What was he thinking? He knew that this was pointless. Hadn't he told himself weeks ago when this whole escapade began that Malfoy and Weasley didn't mix? There was plenty of proof, plenty of evidence, plenty of reasons why the butterflies in his stomach shouldn't exist. Dylan's cool, and barely noticeable disapproval at the mere thought of Scorpius taking up with "that Weasley girl" earlier, just being the first (and most recent) of many examples.

He knew what he had to do. Despite the pain he suddenly felt at the thought, he knew he had to. It was time to tell Rose that this was not possible. Friends? Sure maybe. But this... no. This couldn't happen. They had already done too much. Just the thoughts she was stirring in his mind were unacceptable. His chest ached at the thought. Somehow in the past weeks Rose had become his safe haven. The one place where he didn't have to be "Malfoy", his place where he could just sit and laugh and think of frivolous things for once. She kept the pressure off, and he felt the weight that had been so recently lifted off his buoyant shoulders begin to settle again.

Lord, he didn't want to do this.

Just then the sound of Rose's familiar high-heeled shoes rang on the stones of the hallway. Already he could recognize her gait. He could imagine how the black shoes would melt perfectly into those pale, smooth legs. Her knees, lightly bruised from hitting them on the underside of her desk, would appear next. He'd see the tiniest sliver of white thigh before her skirt would appear. He knew how it would flutter with her movements. Teasing and testing him with each stride. He imagined just how smooth those perfect legs would feel beneath his fingertips...

But no. He mustn't think of that.

He shook his head to clear it as her lilac scent drifted around the corner of the bookcase that blocked their meeting place.

He could barely see her in the low lights of the candles. But he was just able to make out the glint of the necklace around her neck, and the soft chime of the ring as she spun it on it's chain. A physical manifestation of her worry.

He turned to face her fully, as she stepped into the light. Her red hair shimmering like silk in the candlelight. Her full bottom lip between her teeth as she tugged and pulled in time with her worried spinning. It appeared she was working herself to say something.

To put off his unpleasant task, Scorpius waited for her to speak first.

"Scorpius," Rose breathed. Scorpius felt a forbidden thrill run through him at the sound of his name. "I have to tell you something."

Rose's blue eyes were wet. Almost as if she were about to cry. In that moment, he knew he could never leave her. He would have to stay with her, if only to make sure she never looked so heartbroken ever again. He'd would just have to figure out a way to deal with all the other obstacles.

He took two ringing steps toward her.

As he stepped forward, Rose took one step back. Doing this was going to be difficult enough without his scent in her head, dizzying her and making her resolve weaken.

With one long shuddering breath she began. "I'm sorry. But this has got to stop. This... this thing between us..." She felt her breathing accelerate when he took yet another step forward. "It's not..." She took another step back. Her shoes sounding too loud in the silence. "It's not okay. We both know that no one would approve." She looked down at her too loud shoes, like the coward she was. Too afraid to look him in the eye as she broke their hearts. "I'm sorry but it's not like we could keep it a secret or anything." He stepped forward and she took another retaliatory step back. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and through sheer will forced them back. _I will not cry._ She vowed to the stones beneath her feet. "Everyone would know." As she whispered a loose hair fell in front of her face, shielding her shame.

Her heart ached with every traitorous word, but she knew this was what she needed to do. She was not a selfish being. She loved her family and was determined to live up to their expectations. _'After all, in the end Dorothy just wanted to go home to Auntie Em, despite her frivolous adventures,'_ Rose thought.

Just as she was accepting her breaking heart she heard Scorpius speak. "I know." He was agreeing with her. It made it easier, but it didn't make it hurt any less. "We should stop this." He said it in a matter-of-fact way. A passing comment that could've been about the weather. He took two steps closer to her. Rose took another step back and found her way barred by the bookcase. Spines of hundreds of ancient books pushed into her. As she glanced up at Scorpius, to ask what he was doing, to tell him to stop (or continue? She wasn't sure which) she got caught up in those eyes of his. Dark grey and smoldering. She couldn't stop her breath from coming from her lungs fast. She was practically panting. It would've been embarrassing if Scorpius wasn't doing the same, wasn't looking at her that way.

_'Stop it! End this!'_ came Rose's conscious, which was taking the form of Lily Potter today.

"Friends?" Rose asked, putting her right hand forward in a very professional and frosty manner. _'Be professional, detached, cool'_ she muttered to herself.

Scorpius blinked, the look in his eyes, not completely going away but becoming veiled in a more polite manner. "Friends," he agreed, placing his rough, ink-stained hand in her soft one.

And then it happened.

When their hands touched it was as if a heated electric current ran through their bodies, centered and focused on where their skin touched. Rose felt it smolder through her body. It burned, it ached. With every gasping breath she wrenched from her lungs, it burned. It burned away all resistance and suddenly she didn't care. Not about her parents, or her family, Lily's prying eyes, Scorpius feeble agreement, or her thoughts on Dorothy and Kansas.

She no longer cared. It was time for her, for once in her life, to be a little selfish. To stop thinking about being the perfect daughter, cousin, prefect, student, girl.

But before she could truly grasp her new boldness, her new fierce selfishness, she felt Scorpius' soft lips on hers.

They were insistent and pressing. Her eyes widened for the briefest of moments before she responded. With gusto. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trapping him, securing him to her. He moaned when she ran her fingers though those blonde locks. They didn't feel like she imagined they would. They were better. Short and soft and undoubtedly manly. Something in the way the bristles twisted so perfectly around her nimble fingers urged her on.

She ran her tongue softly along the outside of his lips, and his response nearly undid her. His hands, that had been merely resting along her hips in the most sensible of ways slide up her sides. Fingers pressing into her skin and forcing her shirt up along with them. He pressed into her body more forcefully with his own. Determined to leave no space between them whatsoever. As he pressed, Rose felt the spines of the library books behind her against her skin. She couldn't care less. The entire library could be on fire for all she cared. All that mattered was Scorpius and his hands, his lips, his tongue, his hair, his sweet exhale as he pulled his lips from hers and began to kiss her neck.

Gasping for breath, her hands began to roam. Up and down his taut back, feeling the lines beneath her fingers finally. Her bold hands continued across his shoulders, and her nails inadvertently bit into him as he reached the sweet spot beneath her chin that was just _so right._

Scorpius licked and nibbled and reached his hands up to those long locks he had always dreamed and fantasized about. Pulling the delicate clip from her hair, the tumbling waves of red silk were finally free for his greedy fingers to run through. They were softer than he imagined, and he found himself burying his nose in them and taking a deep breath, pausing in his kissing.

Rose took full advantage of Scorpius' distraction, kissing his neck, pay careful attention to his Adam's apple, and earlobes. As he moaned her name she felt powerful, she felt right, and complete.

Nothing was worth missing this. Not even her family.

Scorpius pulled away and as their eyes locked they knew the other was thinking the same thing.

They could never give this up. This was too perfect, too right, and too unbelievable.

They'd just have to find a way to keep it a secret.

* * *

END CHAPTER FIVE

A.N. 2:

I'd like to say thank you to my wonderful reviewers, whose encouragement keeps me writing and thinking about these characters that I've come to love.

Next chapter should be up soon, so keep your eyes open for that!


	6. Chapter 6

We watch the season pull up its own stakes  
And catch the last weekend of the last week  
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,  
Another sun soaked season fades away

You have stolen my heart

* * *

Test results had been handed out to every eligible student that very morning. The poor 5th and 7th years had to wait all summer to receive their standardized results unfortunately, however they weren't too fussed about this. Actually, as they were still riding the post-exam high, most couldn't care less. All that mattered to them was the fact that they were finished with the damn things. All throughout the castle students were packing up their trunks, and comparing scores while they prepared themselves to board the scarlet Hogwarts Express the following day. All the students were thrilled to go home. Three whole months of freedom! They were all very much looking forward to no more teachers and no more books. A whole summer to empty their heads. Joy was in the air.

Everyone was excited.

All except two.

"What shall I do without you for an entire summer?" Scorpius moaned as he nuzzled Rose's neck and felt her shuddering breath in response.

Rose, who was once upon a time looking forward the summer break, was now dreading it. Not only would she be away from Scorpius for months, but now she had the added guilt of keeping a secret from not only her cousins, but her entire family as well. She could already feel herself beginning to crack under the pressure.

But as Scorpius' attentive lips began to make a circuit up and down her throat, she couldn't quite bring herself to care either way.

"How did you survive before?" she panted, running her nails through his blonde locks.

"I'm not entirely sure," Scorpius said with all seriousness, pulling away from her neck and looking her in the eyes. He was instantly distracted. "Merlin, you're beautiful," he murmured once again before pressing his lips to hers. She giggled as he had said the same exact thing four times in the past hour or so before kissing her. If he said this enough she was going to start believing him.

When they parted for breath, Rose looked up at Scorpius. His stormy grey eyes were light and undeniably happy. He had a grin crinkling the corner of his mouth, and his hair was sticking up in all directions. While looking up at his face, she felt a vague wave of deja vu. Where had she seen this expression before? His perfect lips were swollen thanks in large part to her and his shirt was a bit of a rumpled mess.

He looked like a lovestruck fool.

She couldn't help herself, she kissed him again.

It was suppertime and the rest of the castle was gathered in the Great Hall for one last feast, leaving the corridors and a majority of the grounds unoccupied. This allowed Rose and Scorpius to lay in the grass by their fountain, enjoying the sunset and each other uninterrupted. The chance was slim to none that anyone would venture out there and catch them.

Scorpius trailed his fingers through Rose's red hair, while kissing her lips, her cheeks, her closed eyelids, her nose, her throat. Every inch of her he could reach. Silently marveling at the fact she was really here, and that he was really kissing her, really touching her, really making her moan in that way. He was sure any second he'd wake up to find he had drifted away on his desk again and the whole thing was just another vivid daydream. But then Rose shivered beneath him, a small noise of pleasure escaping her lips and brought his thoughts to an abrupt stop.

"I should go," Rose moaned between kisses. Scorpius just shook his head and continued kissing her. "I should go," she protested again, this time weaker than the last.

"Mmm.." Scorpius nibbled her ear. "No. Not going anywhere." He ran his hands down her torso again and she shuddered. Her legs tangling in his, her traitorous hands running under his shirt, pressing into the muscled skin of his back. She was intoxicated by him. She kissed him until she was gasping for breath, she clung to him with everything she had. She couldn't stop herself. She wanted him, all of him. She wanted to keep him here with her. It was selfish and self-absorbed, but she didn't care for once. He made her exceptionally and inconceivably happy, and she didn't want to give that up.

So she didn't. She had decided days ago that she was going to stop thinking about what everyone else wanted, what everyone else expected and she was going to do what she wanted. Damn the consequences. And what she wanted, what made her happy was Scorpius Malfoy. It was wrong and complicated and confusing, but she no longer cared. She wanted him and for some reason he seemed to want her as well. And for once she wasn't going to worry, she was just going to be happy.

She pressed herself closer to his body, feeling the entire length of him against her. It gave her a kind of forbidden thrill. A soft moan escaped her before she could stop herself, and she felt Scorpius smile against her lips. She smiled back, running her fingers through his hair, eliciting a soft moan of her own. With that moan, she let go. Let go of all her worries. She stopped thinking about how she would find a way to sneak out and see him this summer. She didn't think about keeping the secret from her friends and her family. She didn't think about Lily's suspicion, or imagine her Father's furious face if he were to ever discover what she was doing.

She let go. She was simply a seventeen year old girl being kissed by the one she loved.

* * *

"Where have you been?"

Rose was startled out of her daydreams of Scorpius' talented lips by Lucy's voice. "Huh?" She asked confused. It was after dinner and Rose was sitting in Common Room pretending to read. She had left Scorpius half an hour ago and had spent that time ignoring her hunger and reliving the past hours at Scorpius' side. She shook her head to rid herself of the vision of passionate grey eyes.

"Are you in there?" Lucy crouched down in front of Rose. Bright blue eyes blocked Rose's vision.

"Sorry," Rose mumbled, closing the book she was pretending to read. "Just a bit out of it I guess. Burnt out from exams." Rose shifted to the side, exposing half of the squishy couch she was sitting on for Lucy.

Lucy eagerly complied. She snuggled into Rose's side, peering over her shoulder to see what Rose was reading. "'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'?" Lucy's voice was soft and unintentionally sultry and Rose was envious. "What happened to 'The Wizard of Oz'?"

"I think I've found something better than Oz," Rose muttered mainly to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing," Rose replied loudly. Setting the book on a near-by table, she turned to face her friend. "Look at you! You're glowing." And it was true. Lucy was positively radiating happiness. "Sweet Merlin! You're practically pink!"

Lucy just blushed deeper in response. She said nothing but suddenly seemed to find the illustrations in Rose's book incredibly interesting. "Why do I get the feeling that a certain Potter male has something to do with this." Rose gestured to Lucy's flushed body as a whole.

"Oh shut up," Lucy mumbled before resting her head on Rose's shoulder. Rose giggled and then sighed. She was going to miss her best mate. The coming summer months were going to be hard on the two of them. Lucy was headed off to Spain for a month on holiday, while Rose was thinking about getting a summer job in one of the shops in Diagon Alley in order to make some extra pocket change. The girls were going to have to rely on letters for correspondence, which was difficult because never before had they spent so long without seeing each other face to face. Ever since that first day on the train the girls had always spent a majority of their summer hols together.

Not only that but now Rose had the added pressure of keeping Scorpius off of Lucy's finely tuned radar. Rose and Lucy told each other everything and it was going to be hard for Rose to not ask her best friend's opinion on the matter. Even now Rose found herself wavering. She wanted to tell Lucy what had happened between her and Scorpius. How he made her feel so light and loved. She knew that Lucy wouldn't judge her, but she also knew that Lucy would never be able to keep a secret this big from Albus. It was the thought of what her favorite cousin would say if he knew that his dear little Rosie was gallivanting about with Malfoy that had her holding her tongue.

"What are you worrying about?" It was Lucy. She had sat up from her slouched position next to her and was watching Rose with a worried expression. Her previous glow had diminished, but not all together disappeared.

"Just not seeing you this summer," Rose said. She wondered when she had gotten used to this? Had gotten comfortable telling half truths, and partial lies? She wondered how she managed to keep her voice so normal.

Lucy hugged her. "I know. I'm going to miss you so much. But I'll be sure to see you after Spain."

Lucy took her words as the truth and Rose felt her stomach drop. It was the same swooping sensation she had felt in Scorpius' presence, but instead of making her feel as if she could fly, she felt as if her heart suddenly weighed ten pounds.

* * *

The steam at Hogsmeade station was thick. The humidity had rolled back into the air and Rose felt it stifling her as she wearily made her way to the gleaming scarlet train in front of her. All around her students were saying goodbye to friends, kissing cheeks, exchanging addresses with promises to stay in touch. A few people were just clamoring on to the train straight away, hoping it's cool corridors would provide some relief from the sweltering heat. Rose bypassed a group of crying seventh year Ravenclaws, and a pack of rowdy third year Slytherins. She spotted Albus and Lucy off to the side, gazing into each other's eyes in a sickening romantic kind of way. Rose thought this was a bit odd, considering the two of them always tried to keep their relationship as light as possible. They were plenty in love with each other, but they tried to keep most of the details of their relationship private. They rarely subjected the inhabitants of the castle to disgusting displays of affection and could often be found sitting together quietly, their clasped hands the only sign that they were more than just friends. But before she could inquire about this further, she felt a hand on the back of her robes, pulling her into a shadowy corner of the train station. Far enough away from wandering eyes, but still plenty exposed.

Rose didn't have to ask who it was, she smelled his honey and parchment scent and felt his cool lips on her neck almost instantly. She gave in to the sensation for a moment before a squeal of one of the students on the platform grabbed her attention.

"No, we can't." She mustered up all her will power and managed to push Scorpius' face away. He looked into her eyes, his arms still around her. His eyes burned with a passion that Rose was becoming familiar with, as she was finding it within herself more and more each day. He nervously licked his lips and Rose wanted him. All of him.

But this was neither the time nor the place.

"I'm sorry-" Rose didn't know why she was apologizing.

"No. I know. You're right." Scorpius released her then and came back to his senses, the fire in his eyes masked by polite propriety. He stepped back from her and Rose, though she knew this was for the best, mourned the loss of his body pressed against hers.

Scorpius seemed to take a minute to recollect himself. "I just wanted to see you before we left." His voice was quiet and low, like he was admitting some great failing.

"Me too," Rose whispered back, resisting the urge to run her hands up and down his arms one last time.

"I have to tell you something. And it's going to sound a little crazy."

Rose just waited, her fingers climbing up her neck to start fiddling with her necklace.

"Alright then, I'm just going to say it." Scorpius ran a hand though his hair and Rose wondered how bad it could possibly be that it would have Scorpius acting so un-Scorpius-ish.

He moved close to her and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You should probably know before you leave for holiday..." A pause and an exhale. Rose shivered at the sensation of his breath running over her. ".. I am very much in love you Rose Weasley."

Rose jolted in shock, stunned by both his confession and his use of her surname. But Scorpius didn't give her anytime to react any further. He kissed her cheek and then the tip of her nose and finally her lips in the softest of grazes, before striding out on to the crowded school platform.

END CHAPTER SIX

* * *

End Notes: We are reaching the end of our tale, I think only one or two more chapters before the whole things all sewn up. 'Dusk & Summer' ends at the end of the (you guessed it) summer after Scorpius and Rose's sixth year, just before Seventh.

Look for another R/S one shot coming your way in the near future, if you are interested in that.

and don't forget to review! And to everyone who has favorited or put this story on alert, or reviewed, I luff yous guys! You truly rock my world.

cheers,

-wit


	7. Chapter 7

_For Sophia: my luverly reviewer who (hopefully) stuck through it all. This one's for you._

__

_Dusk & Summer_

_Chapter Seven_

_"dusk and summer"_

___

* * *

_

"And though the shadow of a sigh

_May tremble through the story_

_For 'happy summer days' gone by,_

_And vanish'd summer glory -_

_It shall not touch with the breath of bale_

_The plesance of our fairy-tale."_

Rose flipped the dog-eared pages of her children's book. It was a first edition of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carrol. She was sifting through the pages gingerly and with reverence. She was parting with it today. '_Just a loan_' she reminded herself. She had always been a little touchy about others borrowing her books ever since she was six and loaned her copy of 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe' to James and he had returned it to her at the end of the summer covered in what appeared to be blackberry jam. She remembered the tussle they had gotten into after that. Six year old Rose with her scabbed knees and gangly limbs, jumping on top of and then tackling a nine-year old James Potter like a rugby player. Their parents were struck-dumb by timid Rose's loss of temper. They had only intervened after Rose had sat on the larger boy's chest and started to bludgeon him with the aforementioned book.

No one had doubted her propensity toward the Weasely Anger ever since.

She shook her head, with a slight smile on her face. Where had the time gone? It seemed like just yesterday she was beating James with her beloved paperback and now look at them. He just graduated from Hogwarts and was headed to becoming a successful Research and Developer for Weasely Wizard Wheezes, and she was... what? A seventh year Hogwarts student, part-time worker at Nabu's, the second-hand bookstore in Diagon Alley, and was hopelessly clueless as to what to do when she graduated.

Oh and she was also hopelessly, helplessly in love.

This brought her back to 'Alice'. She scribbled a quick note, _"I trust you with this and all I have (and you know how important my precious books are to me). Alice is a first edition and a lady and I'm sure you'll treat her the way she deserves. Read this and think of me, and know that somewhere I am thinking of you. -R". _She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at imagining his reaction to this particular correspondence. She sent the family owl, Bathlida (or 'Baggy') out with the parcel and hoped that no one would notice her absence.

* * *

"Check," Hugo sighed. Playing chess with Rose had been less than fun as of late. Hardly a challenge, seeing as her mind was always somewhere else lately. 'Just thinking about work.' Rose would explain whenever anyone noticed or pointed out her day dreaming. Hugo thought that it was quite impossible for anyone to have that sort of wistful look on their face while thinking about their place of employment (apart from his mother of course), but wasn't too interested in finding out more about what Rose was actually thinking about. That is until she started losing to him in wizard chess.

Of course, Rose always lost to him in wizard chess. He was undefeated by anyone who played him (except on the rare occasion when he could persuade his dad to a game. Hugo generally lost then. It was good for him. A great challenge and he always learned so much from his father's deceptively simple yet crushing strategy. It also kept his ego in check. It's difficult to have a big head after playing a game with Ron and losing in eleven moves).

But his conquest of Rose wasn't what was bothering him, it wasn't all that surprising after all, but it was the ease in which he won. Usually Rose gave him a pretty good run for his money. Making him think and rethink his moves before making a commitment. And she always fought him tooth and nail after he announced Check Mate. Claiming that he cheated or that he must have used some sort of under-handed manner of winning. Truth be told, wizard chess was the one thing Rose wasn't great at and he discovered over the years that when she lost to her younger brother, Rose became very sore indeed.

That is, of course, before she became permanently distracted. Currently she was gazing out at the blue summer sky with that wistful smile on her face again. She looked almost...sick. It made Hugo anxious.

She blinked suddenly, just as he opened his mouth to remind her that it was her turn. With a distracted air she moved her rook to capture his knight. This left her king unguarded and prime for the taking.

No challenge at all.

With another heavy sigh, Hugo moved his bishop and muttered "Check mate." Rose gave a little jolt, shrugged, mumbled thanks for the game and then popped upstairs to get ready for work.

Hugo didn't like it one bit. While he was gathering up the broken pieces and repairing them and putting them away he resolved to get to the bottom of it.

Whatever 'it' was.

* * *

Across the country, in the heart of London, another boy was thinking about Rose Weasley.

_'Don't let him know that she liked them best,_

_For this must ever be_

_A secret, kept from all the rest_

_Between yourself and me.'_

Scorpius smiled and continued to read about darling Alice's adventures. Truth be told he was never interested in Muggle literature until Rose with her red-gold locks, pink lips and sweet smile entered his world. But now, as he read each line with fascination he couldn't help but think that he had really missed out on something spectacular while growing up. These simple adventures were entrancing, no wonder Rose kept, and continued to read, her favorite childhood stories. When wrapped in precocious Alice's curious wanderings around Wonderland it felt so easy to forget all of the other obligations in his life. His need to please is family, the pressure he's under to defy (or live up to, depending on who you ask) his father's name. It wasn't unlike the freedom he felt in Rose's presence.

However, reading these fanciful stories made him miss her terribly.

Pulling a scrap piece of parchment from one of his desk drawers, he scribbled a hasty note to Rose. He requested a meeting with her, before he really thought out the consequences of getting caught.

_R-_

_I long for wonderland, for this dreary reality is no longer enough to keep me occupied. I need to see you. My dreams of you are no longer enough. I'll be in Diagon Alley next Wednesday and suddenly find myself with the strangest urge to pick up some secondhand books. See you at closing._

'_So she sat on with closed eyes, and half believed herself in Wonderland, though she knew she had but to open them again and all would change to dull reality…'_

_-S_

As he watched his owl fly off to the country with his request he felt his heart clench at the thought of seeing her beautiful face again. It had been nearly two months and he found his resolve weakening. He wanted to be with her right now.

On one hand the strength of his emotions startled him; he had never felt this way before. As if his heart would burst out his chest cavity at any moment. It seemed as if his whole life revolved around Rose and his memories of her soft voice reading to him, of her even softer fingertips grazing his arms and twirling in the hair at the nape of his neck as she whispered sweet words to him in between fevered kisses, hidden in the dark corners and abandoned hallways of the castle. He longed for those days, that last week of school, when they were both drowning in the heat of the summer and each other.

On the other hand, he was petrified. He had never given himself over to any one person so completely. He was so enamored with her that with the tiniest flick of her wrist she could bring all his hopes and dreams and passions tumbling down.

But he knew she would never do something so malicious. She had never returned his flustered confession at the end of the year before climbing onto the train. Not throughout all their correspondences during the summer, but he knew that she cared for him deeply. It was in every word she wrote, in every glance he had stolen from her at the end of the year.

He loved her and she loved him and he felt that should be enough for everyone.

"Scorpius!"

Well, almost everyone.

His mother called to him again. She only called to him when she was too busy or too flustered to remember to send the House-elf, Binky.

"I'll be right there," Scorpius called back.

'"_Oh, 'tis love, 'tis love, that makes the world go round!" _

"_Somebody said," whispered Alice, "that it's done by everybody minding their own business!" _

"_Ah, well! It means much the same thing," said the Duchess…' _

Scorpius placed a bookmark in Rose's book before heading downstairs.

* * *

"Look at you!" Rose exclaimed upon seeing Lucy Woodward standing in the fading light of the bookshop's window. Rose dropped the books she was cataloguing and ran at her best friend, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Look at me? Look at you!" Lucy giggled as she released Rose and spun her in a tight circle. Rose's normally pale skin was sun-kissed, her freckles out in force. Lucy couldn't put her finger on it but there was _something_ different about her best friend.

"Pssshhtt." Rose waved the compliment away with a careless hand and enveloped her best friend in another tight hug.

"Bloody hell, I've missed you."

"I'm so glad that I caught you," Lucy said while walking with Rose over to the checkout counter. "I know that it's nearly closing, but Mum, Dad and I were in London, staying at the Leaky before heading home and I didn't want to wait to see you, since I knew you were here in the city and all." Lucy was off and running, rambling a mile and minute. Rose tried her best to keep up with a huge smile on her face. "We're heading home tomorrow around noon. At least that's when the portkey leaves. Al and I have plans to meet up for dinner tomorrow night and I really don't know how I'm going to wait. I feel like I might just burst if I don't hear his voice and see his face soon. I know, I know, I sound stupid and love struck. Well, I don't even care. I am. I'm love stuck. Go ahead Weasley! Tell the Prophet. Have them print it up for the morning edition."

Lucy was digging in her bag, pulling out souvenirs for Rose as she rambled. At the mention of her cousin, Rose laughed. She had her back to Lucy and the mess on the counter as she continued to catalogue a new shipment of spell books. Hogwarts shopping would be picking up again this week. Last minute shoppers and forgetful mothers with lists. They needed to keep the shop neat and tidy to keep up with demand. At least that's what Rose's boss, Mr. Barnes, kept telling her.

Lucy watched her while spouting off tales and anecdotes from her trip. Rose listened, enraptured, while she worked, asking questions about where her friend went and what she saw.

The sun was just about set, and the shop minutes to closing before Lucy started winding down.

"So I have some news. And I'm going to apologize for keeping this a secret from you for so long but I knew that if I told you too soon it would jinx it and I didn't want that. Also, it's not just my news to tell, but if I waited for Al to tell you, we'd all be old and gray and heaven knows we don't want that. So I'm sorry, but I'm telling you now and that's what's most important. Also you are the only one who knows and that's got to count for something right-"

"Luce!" Rose interrupted. "Just tell me."

Lucy took a deep breath and a dramatic pause. "Al and I are moving in together after graduation."

"What?" Rose exclaimed. She knew that Lucy and Albus seemed pretty serious but not that serious. Judging from the anxious look on Lucy's face though, it was really happening and she was genuinely concerned about Rose's reaction to the news.

"Oh my goodness!" Rose shouted. Lucy winced. "Congratulations!" Rose skirted around the checkout counter to tackle Lucy in a bone-crushing hug,

"Oh!" Lucy breathed as she hugged Rose back. "I was so worried you were going to think we were stupid and rushing into things and such."

"What? How could you? How could I be anything but thrilled for the both of you?" Rose released Lucy and grabbed her arms while they both bounced together in a girlish, joyous way.

"Tell me all about it!" Rose demanded. Lucy brushed her fringe out her blue eyes before launching into the details.

Apparently Albus and Lucy had been discussing it for a few weeks before he formally asked her before the end of the school year. That's what they had been talking about so seriously on the train platform that day. Albus plans on moving to London after Hogwarts and going though a Philosophy course; before moving on the Magical Law Enforcement classes that her mother took to become a lawyer for the Ministry. Lucy would be in the city as well interning at the Prophet to try her hand at sports journalism. The move would be both economical and clever. "Two of Albus' favorite things" Lucy explained with a giggle. As a bonus they would both be near enough to their respective families but far enough away from them as well that they wouldn't have to worry about adult supervision.

"We plan on telling everyone at Sunday dinner next week." Lucy was playing with her long black hair while Rose thought about the joyous Weasley dinner that was taking place next week. The last Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Weasley's before Hogwarts started up again. Her last Sunday dinner as a child.

"That sounds wonderful. Everyone will be so thrilled. What do you think Aunt Ginny-" Rose was interrupted by the jiggling bells of the front door.

As Rose watched Scorpius Malfoy walk in, she couldn't help but ask herself how she had been so stupid as to forget he was coming by. Lucy's impromptu visit had chased it from her mind. She only got a glimpse of him before he bowed his head and headed to the back of the shop, where they held the oldest and dustiest tomes, but she couldn't help but wonder; had he always been that tall? His shoulders that broad? His hair that blonde? She wanted to investigate further, run her hands through that blonde hair and see if his tan made his skin even hotter that ever.

"What on earth is Malfoy doing here?" Rose jumped at Lucy's question. Hearing her friend's voice, Rose remembered that she wasn't alone, and diverted her eyes.

"What do you mean by that?" Rose asked too quickly and a bit guiltily.

Lucy gave her the side-eye. "I just mean, he comes from gold. Stacks of it." Lucy leaned in closer to Rose and whispered "Why would he need secondhand books?"

Rose turned back to her cataloguing and gave a shrug. She was aiming for blasé and unconcerned. As if she couldn't give two figs less that Scorpius Malfoy had just strolled in. She didn't think she pulled it off. She glanced back to where Scorpius stood in the back corner. He was watching her, his grey eyes glinting. And then he winked and walked further into the stacks.

Rose colored and fumbled a book.

Lucy opened her mouth to ask Rose a question, probably what the hell that was all about, but Rose beat her to it. "So I'll see you Sunday yeah?" Rose turned and jerked her head toward the back. "I've got to take care of this and close up," she finished with a whisper.

Lucy squinted at her friend's odd behavior, but mercifully let it go. She and Rose wrapped up and with a kiss to Rose's now thankfully blush-free cheek and with a cheery "See you on Sunday!" over the shops tinkling bells, Lucy was gone.

Rose sighed. It was becoming clear to her that her relationship with Scorpius was never going to be easy. How much would she have to keep from her friends and family? How often was she going to have to avoid or lie to them to get a moment's peace with him? Was he worth the trouble? Rose was beginning to question. She knew that he loved her, but did he actually realize what that meant. That it meant that things were never going to be simple and easy ever again. That it would be nothing but watching their words and actions until, well, until forever.

She gazed out the windows at the setting sun. What did this all mean? To her? To her family? To his family? To him? To them?

She walked over to the shades and closed them. She didn't want to think about it. She was afraid of the answers.

She flipped the open sign to read closed and dead bolted the door. She shook the thoughts and questions away and walked into the shadows of the shops towering bookcases.

* * *

Less than half an hour later, Rose, with her hands in Scorpius' hair couldn't remember what she was so worried about. She couldn't remember much. Not her name, or where she was, or that this was very unbecoming behavior in her place of employment. All she was aware of were Scorpius' hands and lips and tongue and oh-so-talented-fingers.

She tilted her head back with a moan and Scorpius took the opportunity to nip at her neck. She gasped and dragged her fingernails across his back. Scorpius groaned and pushed up against her more. Pressing her insistently against the bookcase and his body. He needed her closer, wanted her closer. As close as possible. Scorpius' hands danced around Rose's middle, before one climbed its way into her hair, giving just the tiniest of tugs, while the other ghosted over her left breast. Rose gasped and opened her eyes to watch him. Scorpius placed his forehead against her and pressed into her even more. His breath was uneven, his hair a mess and draped over his stormy grey eyes. Rose, her breath coming faster with every moment, grabbed the hand that was near her chest and, before she could talk herself out of it, placed it firmly on her breast. Scorpius moaned and squeezed her gently. Rose gasped and arched her back to give him better access. His fingers tweaked her nipple through the fabric of her dress and Rose grabbed at him. She needed him to never leave her, never stop what he was doing. She grabbed his face and brought it back to hers and devoured him, before slipping her right foot out of her shoe and wrapping her leg around his hip. She needed him closer. Why couldn't they get closer? Scorpius ground into her instinctively and Rose gasped.

"Jesus!" Rose grabbed his hips and wanted him to do that again. He complied, slower this time and let out a strangled curse at the contact.

Rose didn't want to stop. He was right here with her and if he stopped right now she might explode. But then again, if he didn't stop right now she definitely would explode and it was that thought that brought her up short.

This wasn't right. Not here, at her work, up against a book shelf. They deserved more than that. With a Herculean effort she loosed her hold on him and murmured "Wait. No. Too much."

With a hiss, Scorpius released his hold on her and opened his eyes. Looking at her, seeing her serious face and careful eyes, he nodded. He kissed her forehead gently, before leaning his body on the bookcase next to her. His chest heaving with uneven breath. Rose, too, was gasping for breath, and silently cursing herself for stopping. They stayed there for a while. Both catching their breath and carefully not touching.

"You're right," Scorpius ground out, his voice raspy. It just made Rose want him more. "Too much, too fast."

"I'm sorry," Rose whispered, before putting her hands over her scarlet face. She stood there, feeling like a fool. Her heart still thrumming faster than normal, her foot still out of her shoe, her skin still on fire, and wanting. Always wanting. More of him, more of that. It made her feel foolish. Why had she stopped?

"No. You're right. We should stop." From the sound of his voice, Scorpius was still panting beside her on the bookcase.

Rose's face felt like it was on fire. She was mortified. What had she just done? She was pawing at him like some tramp. Oh, what did he think of her now? She buried her face in her hands and tried to stop hyperventilating.

"Rose?" She heard him approach her, still being careful not to touch her. "Look at me."

"No." She childishly turned her face away from him. Her mortification making her sick. She couldn't look at him.

"Rose." He gently grabbed her chin and turned her embarrassed eyes to his. He looked half bashful and half turned on. It's didn't help that his hair was adorably mussed. She clenched her hands into fists to stop herself from running her fingers through it. "It's alright. You were right." He looked as if he was pained to say the words.

He kissed her forehead, and then moved back to his place next to her against the bookshelf. He held her hand and waited.

After composing herself, Rose bashfully placed her foot back in her shoe, tucked her hair behind her ears and squeezed his hand.

"Would you like a tour of the shop?" Rose asked in a breathless voice. Scorpius sighed, gave a chuckle, squeezed her back and responded with a quiet "of course".

* * *

End Chapter Seven

For those still reading (since it has taken me ages to get this out), there is still one last, very very brief chapter. (I wanted to have them as one, but I thought it would be a bit overkill.)

All Quotes are from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll.

All Characters are JKR's.

Love to all my reviewers and story alerters and story favoriters. You guys kick so much ass.

-Wit.

If you'd like to follow my nonsensical ramblings on twitter, you can now do so here -/#!/wittyplayonword


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Heaven Here

_Let the fire surround us, let it all cave in, let it all burn wild  
We are leaving it all behind, we are leaving it all behind  
Heaven is here_

* * *

"Father wants me to work in the financial center and Mother wants me to go into healing. They both want me as far as possible from The Ministry." Scorpius was running his hands down the spines of the books in Rose's shop, helping her catalogue, while he rambled on. He couldn't stop running his mouth it seemed. Rose didn't seem to mind. She was at his feet, riffling through the titles on the bottom-most shelf; occasionally she would smile up at him and he would find himself having to forcibly refrain from gathering her up in his arms and kissing her breathless.

And so he rambled. He wished he could just shut up.

"Father says that financial work would be interesting and Mother argues that a job as a healer is better for society as a whole. Despite the fact that I would have to continue to go to school after Hogwarts, I shouldn't be discouraged. Or at least that's what she tells me." Scorpius couldn't help but sigh as he wrapped up the latest argument he and his parents seemed to be locked in. _'What happens next? Where will you go next Scorpius?'_

"Well, what are you planning now?" Rose seemed puzzled as she stopped rummaging on the bottom shelf and sat back on her knees to look up at him.

He looked at her, her blouse was gaping open at the top again. _'Don't look, don't look don't look!'_ Scorpius repeated to himself. He couldn't help himself though. He looked, and after remembering what those wonderful breasts felt like beneath his hands a mere half hour ago, found himself wishing for looser trousers.

"Scorpius?"

"What?" He was startled out of his perverse daydreams by her quiet voice.

"I asked what your plans were?" She phrased it as a question, and arched an eyebrow in suspicion. Great, she had caught him looking.

"Er, I'm on the path to healing currently. But it's not really interesting. Boring mostly." He had turned back to the spines of the books, taking deep calming breaths.

"So you would head off to St. Mungo's after school and do an internship there?"

"Yeah, I mean, if I were to be interested in doing that. But I'm not. I just don't know what I want to do." Scorpius glanced back over at her. She looked so small there on the floor of the dusty shop. He bent down to kneel next to her before he thought about how getting closer to her probably wasn't the best of ideas in this lust-addled state. Her blush didn't help him think straight.

"Well," her voice was almost a whisper; quiet and soothing in the shadows of the bookcase. "What interests _you _then?"

He answered without thinking. "You. Mostly."

She blushed even further, and he couldn't help himself; he reached out and touched her red cheek with the back of his hand. "You are so beautiful." He was whispering now too.

"Scorpius," She breathed before capturing his lips with hers. Unlike their fevered kisses from before this kiss wasn't the raging fire of two hormone-crazed almost-lovers kept apart; this kiss was a slow burn, promising of things to come.

As he tangled his hands in those wonderfully long red locks of hers, he couldn't help but think that if he could just do _this_ for the rest of his life, he would be perfectly content. Her lips opened, and he felt her tongue slide past his own lips, and shuddered. Grasping her hair more tightly in his fists, he kissed her back. Hard and deep. Delighting in the moan that escaped her and how her hands were suddenly gripping his shoulders, his back, his hair.

After a few moments of this, he found himself at an impasse. What he wanted to do next was press her up against those books again while his hands investigated the inside of her top. He wanted to pull that dress off her and kiss her perfect breasts while she tugged at his hair and wrapped her legs around his hips. He wanted to press into her again, create that blissful friction between them, possibly take his fingers and slip them deep inside her. But then he remembered earlier. How she had pulled away, the panicked look in her eyes, how she had hidden her face in shame, how he had to take long deep breaths in order to control himself, how he had felt a bit sick, thinking he had pushed her too far.

He released her, but kept his eyes closed, taking those calming breaths again. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"No," Rose whispered, sitting back against the bookshelf; distancing herself from him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have started- I mean I wanted to but- I'm just sorry."

"Don't be. You were right earlier."

"Yes, but I really wish I hadn't been." She peeked up at him, a coy and embarrassed smile on her lips. "I want you."

Her confession was as quiet as a breath. If he hadn't been looking at her, he barely would've known she had spoken.

"I want you." His confession was louder, bolder somehow. It was the truth. He wanted her more than he wanted anything in the world. He loved her, he wanted her and he felt she deserved to know. She didn't look embarrassed or scandalized; she looked pained, like she wanted to continue on where they had left off, but knew better than to act on the impulse.

For a moment, they just sat there; Rose against the bookshelf, Scorpius sitting before her. They watched the dust swirl in the air and remained silent as the sun finally sunk behind the horizon, leaving the shop cast in a blue-ish haze. It was an intimate moment. Just a boy and a girl and a confession in the dark.

After the spell was broken, Rose and Scorpius stood. He gathered the books on the floor, while she busied herself with lighting the oil lamp on the nearby desk.

He placed the pile of unsorted books next to her on a cleared corner of the desk. He was preparing to leave. It was nearly nine o'clock. The shop had been closed for nearly an hour and even he knew that Rose could only delay for so long.

"So, what are you going to do?" Rose asked. He looked at her, confused. "About your 'post-Hogwarts career'?" She added air quotes and a funny voice and he loved her for it.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll join the Ministry just to hack of mum and dad. Work for your mum in Magical Law Enforcement."

He had meant it as a joke, but he saw the worried crease come back to her forehead. It had been there when he arrived earlier. He wondered if it was the thought of what her mother would say about them that put it there, or if it was because she never wanted her mother to find out? Either way, it wasn't good. And it effectively brought them both back to reality. They were no longer just a boy and a girl; but a Malfoy and a Weasley. There was a reason they met in darkened bookshops and abandoned hallways.

Rose sighed and shook her head. Before he had a chance to respond, to apologize for bringing it up, she leaned in and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. Tomorrow, he vowed. He would worry about it tomorrow.

"I love you."

The words were muffled against his chest, where her face was hidden. But he heard them, and more importantly, he _felt_ them.

It was the first time she had said them aloud and Scorpius felt his heart race as he tried to form some coherent response.

Rose took the opportunity from him by speaking again, face still buried in his shirt. "I do," She mumbled. "I really do. You are so wonderful to me. To everyone." She propped her chin on his chest, angling her face towards his. He continued to stare into space, befuddled and smiling. "You don't judge anyone. Least of all me. I wish I could be more like you. More… accepting." She shrugged and put her face back to his chest, kissing him sweetly through his shirt.

Scorpius could think of no other response but the truth. "I love you," he murmured to her, close to her ear before claiming her lips.

After some time, they parted and Rose spoke what was on her mind. "What are we going to do?"

"Keep it a secret." Scorpius was loath to keep something that made him feel so good a secret, but he was also quite selfish, in that he didn't want something or, more importantly someone, take Rose away from him.

"Could we?' Rose sounded dubious.

Scorpius wasn't sure either, but he had made a decision. He wanted to be with her. She made him feel whole and relaxed and less anxious about every other aspect of his life. She made him feel a passion which he had never experienced before. She made him feel alive and if he needed to keep her a secret to continue enjoying her, than so be it. He loved her and he was willing to keep everything else away if need be.

He chose her.

"For you." He was whispering into her hair and tightening his grip on her body that was so very close to his own. "For you I could. For you I would do anything."

Rose's eyes welled up at his confession and could think of no other response than to pull his face closer to hers and repeat his promise. "A secret," she whispered and then molded her lips to his.

Summer was ending and in time their promise would be tested, time and time again. For now though they enjoyed the quiet, and each other and vowed to worry about all the logistics tomorrow.

Tomorrow, that's when they would worry.

Outside, the first brisk wind signaled the end to summer.

FIN

A.N: And that ladies and gentlemen is THE END! This fic has been three years in the making and I'm very grateful to everyone who favorited and reviewed. I really truly apprciate it and I want to let you all know that you are the main reasons I kept on.

Thank you and I hope you all enjoyed the ride.


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